Guest Post: 5 Tips for Successful Menu Planning

Today, as part of Blog Love Friday, we have a guest post from TiAnna from"The Fab Life For...Free" .

For me, there’s nothing worse than coming home to an emaciated husband and child searching for dinner, only to find that there’s nothing thawed out and the food that we have in our house won’t make a complete meal. Then there’s the grueling follow-up questions of: “What should we do?” and “Where should we go to get something to eat”. I admit, my men are spoiled, but they depend on me for nourishment, and I don’t mind that because I know how to cook a balanced meal at the cheapest price, and they on the other hand have a long way to go in learning how to do that. Everyone is drained of energy and time zapped these days. Between an hour commute to work, overtime, soccer games, and dance practice, that leaves dinner some where between a McDonald’s drive thru and Hamburger Helper. Which, I’m not bashing either option, but obviously you can’t live healthily on those choices alone.

Menu planning has helped me to save an average of $280/ month, I don’t throw as much food away, my family definitely eats better and we stay within a reasonable daily calorie count, and I have more time to do the things that I want to do, like exercise.

Here are five tips to help you get started.

1. Plan ahead in reasonable increments. For instance, I menu plan for two weeks at a time, because I do my household budget in two week increments, and I know I probably won’t make it to the store any more frequent than that.

2. Choose your meals wisely and give yourself grace. So, you saw a stuffed porkchop with pear sauce and asparagus and garlic mashed potato recipe that you’d like to try, but you’ve never made it. It’s always great to try new things, however, don’t plan to make this meal on the day you have Zumba class at 6:30 pm, you get off work at 5 pm, and have to get your kids from daycare at 5:30 pm. That is not a realistic goal, and you will only discourage yourself. Plan to make a meal like this when you have more time, possibly a Sunday dinner.

3. Build your plan with insurance. Build in leftover days, date nights, and “fun” food nights. I enjoy cooking, however, the meals that I prepare can be time consuming. Therefore, I build my men-plan to accommodate 3-4 cooking days and 3-4 leftover days, which works beautifully for my schedule. Depending on my evening commitments during any given season, I tend to cook Friday thru Monday and have leftovers Tuesday thru Thursday. Also, if you know you only have a small window of time to prepare dinner, then make sure you schedule that day as a leftover day, eating out day, or even better…frozen food day. I really enjoy Stouffer’s Lasagna’s and Bertolli pasta. These meals are quick , not too bad for you, and don’t require much prep work or clean up. Although, if you have a large family, these options may not work for you.

4. Build your plan with sales, holidays, and parties in mind. If you know you’re having a huge family Thanksgiving dinner party and there will be a ton of leftovers, make sure to have as many leftover days as your family can stand, then freeze the rest, and bring it back out in a month or so. We all know that it costs to put on a dinner party, and let’s not mention all the prep work; capitalize on all the time and money spent by giving yourself a break through leftover days. Also, if you are an avid couponer or really search through the sale ads, then plan your meals around the reduced cost items that you find. For instance, leading up to Memorial Day you can find meats, corn on the cob, barbeque sauce, and paper towels for a lot cheaper than they normally are, and that is the time to stock up on those items and put them into your plan

5. If you fall off the wagon…GET BACK ON AGAIN!!!

Here is my menu plan from January of this year. Please notice the scratch outs and write-overs; that’s called…GRACE! If something happens and your plan changes, don’t be so rigid that you can’t modify the plan. Wow…pizza 3 NIGHTS in a row!!! I can’t remember, but I must’ve been VERY busy at that time. Also, notice how there’s plenty of leftover days, and we also planned to have a meal out on certain days. This schedule is posted on my refrigerator for all to see; so it takes a lot of the uncertainty away for the hubsters and TrentMan.

Do you menu plan? What tips could you share that would be helpful in regards to menu-planning?

Guest Post: Protective Style Options

As promised, the posts will return this week after a long hiatus. I am currently uploading pics to my computer to prepare for my post. In the meantime, please check out this guest post from Dominique-Alexis of natural-hair-care-info.com. In her post, she talks about protective styling...something I need to do during the winter months.

By now I’m sure that all naturals are aware of the benefits of wearing two strand twists. They help keep moisture in your curls, they can be done on hair of all lengths, and you get a bonus style when you unravel them!

But do you know just how versatile twists can be? Here I’m going to talk about seven different ways that you can wear twists (two strand, three strand, sister, etc) besides the typical full set kind.

One: Half braided

I did this by braiding the top half of my younger sister’s twists and securing it with a purple Flexi8 hair clip. The clip is totally optional, of course. A hair elastic or hair clip would work as well.

Two: Twisted updo

There’s no right or wrong way to do this hair style. All you need is a hair clip, a banana clip, or bobby pins. Gather your twists in the back of your head and pin them in place with the hair accessory of your choice. You can also leave a few twists out in the front for bangs.

Three: Flat twisted & pinned

I achieved this look by adding four flat twists on either side of my sister’s head before putting the rest of her hair in two strand twists. After that I rolled, pinned, and tucked the twists until I got a braided updo look. Super cute and great for the office!
Four: Twists & cornrows

For this hair style I added five side cornrows before twisting up the rest of her hair. If you don’t know how to cornrow yet, then you can always do some flat twists instead.

Five: Braided twists

Okay so this one is pretty self-explanatory. I simply put my sister’s twists in a Dutch braid, which is the same thing as a cornrow. I’m sure a French braid would look as nice if not better, but I haven’t yet mastered that braid so I stuck with the Dutch braid.

Six: Braided updo

I had my sister lean over her bed with her hair hanging over the edge, then I Dutch braided her twists going towards the top of her head. Lastly, I secured it with a couple of bobby pins and added a bright yellow flower.

Seven: Tied twists

This is a great hair style for the office, weddings, and as a bonus it’s super protective. Start by gathering three twists in each hand at the very top of the head and tie them like you would for the first part of tying your shoelace. Now move down a little, gather a few more twists on either side right below that knot and tie those. Keep repeating until you get to the nape of your neck and end by tucking your ends underneath.

And that’s it! There are so many different ways that you can wear twists! Who says protective hairstyles have to be boring?

Vintage Post: Love Thyself

An important lesson I've learned in life is to love God, love myself... then love everyone else.  Too many times we don't love the skin we're in and we search for solace in clothes, men (women, for you guys out there), hair, makeup, [insert your vice here].

Often, we start the journey of self-love from the outside in.  That's the premise of "What Not To Wear" on TLC. The fashion victims didn't feel they were worthy enough, thin enough, or pretty enough for nice clothing.  So they matched their self-loathing with frumpy clothes.  With a catharsis of their wardrobe, and a renewal of makeup, hair, and clothing...the journey just begins.

But although the journey can start there, we have to be weary of being stuck there.  Using the guise of makeup and hair, to feign self-love doesn't fool anyone. (Cue Heidi Montag. 10 procedures, one day.)

Let's be honest. Self-loathing is self-destructive.  It is a magnet for people who will undervalue and take advantage of you. Trust me. I know.  I spent my entire life being the scrawny nerd, who could clean up well every once in a while.  By my freshman year in college, I finally figured out how to fix the outside.  But working on the underlying layers took a lot longer.  I attracted the type of guys that I mentioned before. They saw my vulnerability and like vultures they  pounced on their prey.

I pass on this lesson, not because I'm bitter.  I'm not.  I've grown immensely because of my life experiences.  I wouldn't erase even the dark times, if it will get me to the point where I am today.  I say this because, before you make any resolution... you need to tackle this one first.  You can't be loved the way you want to, or love the way you want to...until you love yourself. 

Health and Fitness

My most recent pregnancy was high risk.  Not only was I at risk for early labor, but I was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  Diabetes doesn't run in my family and I am in pretty good health, yet there I was pricking myself everyday to check my glucose.  (That placenta. I tell ya.   It can interfere with insulin. In my case, it gave me diabetes.)  If you know anything about gestational diabetes, you probably know that it puts you at a higher risk to develop Type II diabetes later on in life.  And although I don't have any other risk factors, I am forever scared straight.  Juice? No thanks. Candy? In moderation. Carbs? Brown please.  That is my life now, because diabetes is just not for me.

In addition to healthy eating, it is also important to exercise to reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes.  Remember, when I said I was at risk for early labor? Well, I was banned from exercise to keep my bun in the oven.  My last pregnancy, I exercised throughout my pregnancy.  This time. Nada. Zilch. Nothing.  So although this time around I gained 20 pounds instead of 30 pounds, my journey to my fit self seems a little bit harder.

I[f you wait for perfect conditions picture]

As many women trying to get back to optimum health, I have excuses. Although as the mom of newborn and a toddler, they are pretty valid.  Lack of sleep. Long days.  Crying babies.  Valid, right?  But at the same time, there is the saying that if you wait for the optimal conditions... it may never happen. So I don't beat myself up, but I try to do what I can until my youngest child is a little more predictable and my body feels a little bit more normal. (It took about 6 months for me to feel normal again when I had my first child.)

Here is what I do, to make it though:

• Make it a habit. Period.  If being unhealthy is your current habit, then make being healthy your new habit. It takes 28 days to start a new habit. Start today. 
• I eat well.. for the most part.  If I put good in, then I'm not adding on more pounds. I view food as fuel.  
• Eat protein snacks throughout the day.  Eating protein helps you keep full, and fights the cravings for unhealthy snacks.  It also helps your metabolism to eat every 2-3 hours.
• I drink water.  Sodas and soft drinks are easy ways to add calories to your diet.  Cut them out and give your body what it needs... water.
• I do high intensity workouts in short intervals to maximize my workout.  If you are short on time, then the key is to work multiple body parts, with fewer breaks. I'm currently doing the Jillian Michaels, "Ripped in 30".  She urges you to give it all you have for that 25 minutes.  You will thank yourself later.
• Ask yourself if it is worth it. Before I eat junk food, I ask myself if I'm going to kick myself later and say that it wasn't worth the calories. Is my mouth watering just thinking about it, I eat it. If not, then I find a healthier option to satiate my appetite.

I have a lot at stake. My health.  Aesthetically, I have to lose about 5 pounds with some toning and shaping. But I have so much more to gain by following a healthier lifestyle.

What tips do you have for fitting in healthier habits into your busy day?

Easy as 1-2-3: Straight Hair in the Summer

 Still (almost) straight two weeks later.

Too often hair tutorials and tips can feel very overwhelming. To simplify, we have a new weekly feature with tutorials in as little as three steps.  Easy. Straightforward. And if you need further details we will include links to related posts.

Easy enough? So onto today's installment. Straight hair in the summer. I know. Counterintuitive, right? But with a few simple steps, it can be done.

1. Straighten it...right. The key to great straight hair is to start with a good blow dyer and flat iron. Use a water-based leave-in and good heat protectant.  

2. Bun it. Non-optimal dew point? Bun it. Workout? Bun it.  As soon as you get home. Bun it (or wrap it.) See the pattern?

3. Set it or Pin it. If your hair starts to revert, set it (rod set, pin curl, bantu knot, etc. ) or pin it up into an updo.

Bonus: Don't sweat it. And no, I don't mean "don't sweat".  (Don't let your hair prevent you from exercising.) Don't expect bone straight hair in the summer.  And if you must retouch, don't forget to use dry shampoo. Flat ironing dirty hair means uneven heat protection and a recipe for disaster.

Any other tips for straight hair in the summer?

 

Three Days in the Life of Curlformers

It is no secret. I have fallen in love with Curlformers! I have 4a hair and was pleasantly surprised by the smooth results with no heat! I will admit that I struggled with the Curlformers a bit. Due to the density of my hair, I need to do smaller sections. The process should go a lot smoother

 

My hair after the take down 

Day 1: I decided to style my hair into an updo

The back (I pinned up the back without checking in the mirror.  #mommyskills)

Day 2: High ponytail with curly bang (At night, I simply put on a bonnet. I didn't do anything special to preserve the curls.)

Day 3: High ponytail

Have you ever tried Curlformers? Did you like the results? Do you have any tips and tricks to share?

Vintage Post: Wash 'N Go

I can thank motherhood for reaquainting me with the wash and go.  On Sunday, I pre-pooed (water, coconut oil and baggied) my hair to prep for a wash.  But Mariah, kept me so busy that I couldn't wash and twist my hair.  Before I knew it, it was time for us to take Mariah to my mom's house so the hubby and I could see Transformers for date night.

So to avoid walking around with greasy hair and smelling like a coconut, I had to improvise. 

Wash 'N Go

I washed with Shea Moisture- Moisture Retention Shampoo and conditioned  with Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner.  I then put in Giovanni Direct-Leave -in and sealed with African Royale Hot Six Oil. I then added Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie to small sections, detangled, braided, and sealed the ends with shea butter. I then blotted with a t-shirt and blow dried a bit, focusing on the roots, and sealed with jojoba oil. I dressed, pulled into a puff, and put on a headwrap to slick down the front. I took it off before I got out the car at the movies.  And voila!

Co-Wash 'N Go

On Wednesday, I co-washed with Suave Humectants (cheapie conditioner). I finger detangled a bit. I then added Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.  I did mini pineapples with scrunchies and  dressed.  I used the aforementioned puff method.

Refresh 'N Go

To refresh for second day hair (points above), I spritzed with water and sealed with jojoba oil.  I used the same puff method.

This definitely won't be my go to style since my hair dries out too quickly with a wash 'n go. But when I'm pinched for time, it is comforting to know that I have this as an option.

What are your time saving hair tricks?