Meal Plan Monday

      HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  

I can't believe it's Monday and Halloween already! It's time for my weekly Meal Plan. We're celebrating our wedding anniversary and Taylor's birthday this week so I planned for 2 dinners out.

Menu Plan for the week of October 31 - November 6

Monday:  Soup & Sandwiches (quick and easy meal tonight so we can go trick-or-treating!)

Tuesday:  Beef Stroganoff, Whole Wheat Noodles

Wednesday:  Ravioli w/Marinara Sauce, Garlic Bread

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Friday:  Eat Out (we're celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary today!!)

Saturday: Veggie Burgers/Hamburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Sunday:  Eat Out (Taylor's choice, today is her 16th birthday!!)

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Olive Oil

1 Cup Chopped Onion

32 oz. Jar or Can of Tomato Sauce

2 tsp Dried Oregano

2 tsp Dried Thyme

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

2 tsp Minced Garlic

6 oz. Jar of Sliced Mushrooms

1 Cup Sliced Green Pepper

Coat bottom of skillet with olive oil. Heat to medium and brown chicken.

Put chicken in slow cooker; add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Serve with noodles.

Have a great week everyone!!

Fall Front Porch Feature

My front porch was featured at Front Porch Ideas and More! You can go here to check it out! 


Their website is full of amazing porches and ideas so take a look around while you're there. 

Thank you Front Porch Ideas and More for the feature!

Favorite Things Friday

Happy Friday everyone! In just a few days it will be Halloween and then November! Where did the month of October go? Before you know it, Christmas will be here! I guess it's time to start thinking about shopping for gifts. I haven't posted a Favorite Things Friday for a few weeks so today you get 2 of my favorite things!!


Here is what I'm lovin' this week:




 Q & A Book 5 Year Journal
This book is available on Amazon
for $11.55 and would make an
awesome gift! The book contains a
question on each page and an area 
for you to fill in your answer. 

          Ticket Stub Diary
Available on Amazon for $10.17.
Keep ticket stubs from events, 
concerts, movies, etc. and paste
them in this book. There is an area
to journal next to each ticket stub.

Have a great weekend!! 

Library Mood Board

Library/Sitting Room

This gives you an idea of what I'll be adding to the room and the look I'm going for. What do you think? Anybody want to come help me paint over the red walls?   : )

Have an awesome day!!


Linking up to the following parties:

Finally!

It's only taken me a year but I have finally decided what to do with my dining room. This is the one room in our home that we don't use. At all. Never ever ever. We had Thanksgiving dinner in there 3 years ago and since then it sits unused and collecting dust. 


The dining room is the first room you see when walking in the front door. It's a good size room with large floor to ceiling windows. Quite a few years ago Handyman Hubby added some crown moulding - which I loooove! I originally thought about converting it into an office. Handyman Hubby works from home and his office is currently in our finished basement. I quickly nixed that idea. Hubby + office = BIG MESS!!


One day, while looking at one of my fave blogs, Maillardville Manor, I saw it. A library/sitting room.

Isn't that room just gorgeous? I absolutely love everything about it! So I'm taking my inspiration from Ashli's library and putting my own spin on it.


In case you don't remember, this is where I'm starting from.

I am not looking forward to painting over the red but there is no turning back now . . .

The ceiling and trim have been taped off and most of the furniture moved out. I have narrowed the paint color down to 2 or 3. I am going with a grayish blue color on the walls and saying bye bye to the red floral fabric. 


The small table is staying along with the parsons chairs. I have already ordered new white slipcovers for the chairs and the table will get a new coat of paint. As you can see in the photo, I've been going around the house and collecting all my books. It will be nice to have them all in one place. I have also been collecting some fun accessories over the past few months that I can't wait to use in here!


It might take me another year to finish but some day I'll have a library/sitting area. 


What do you think? Have you turned an unused room into something functional for your family?  

Menu Plan Monday

Hello my friends! Sorry I've been MIA for the past few days. I'm trying to get some projects done but I'm not making much progress. That seems to be happening a lot . . . something else always comes up.


Do any of you shop at Aldi? I am so excited that a new Aldi store is opening today and it's only a few miles from my house. I can't wait to go check it out! Hopefully I'll score some awesome deals!


Here is my menu plan for the week of October 24 -30


Monday:  Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, Noodles


Tuesday:  Spaghetti w/Italian Sausage Sauce, Salad


Wednesday:  Chicken w/Balsamic Vinegar Sauce, Red Roasted Potatoes


Thursday:  Potato Soup, Wheat Rolls


Friday:  Eat Out


Saturday:  Ladle-It-On-Lasagna, French Bread


Sunday:  Pork Filet In Wine, Noodles, Cooked Carrots




Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce


3 Tbs Flour
3/4 tsp Salt, Divided
1/2 tsp Pepper, Divided
1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, Thinly Sliced 
1 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 tsp Butter


On a plate, combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and turn to coat; shake off any excess.


Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.


Add onion to skillet; saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, thyme and remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring often, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.


Remove skillet from heat and stir in butter until melted. Spoon sauce over chicken. 

Laundry Room OCD

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you know that I suffer from OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Decorating. Please tell me I'm not the only one with this problem. There have to be others out there like me. I just get tired of stuff after a while and like to change things up. Does anyone else do this? Say yes even if you don't so I don't feel like a wierdo - thanks!


Here's the deal-e-o . . . Last year I updated my laundry room with a new shelf and some dollar store accessories. I started with this:

Ummm, yeah. There are no words. 


Then it looked like this for a while:

Definitely better but I was ready for a change. I know, I know. I just changed it up a year ago but that is actually a long time for me.  : )


Here is my laundry room today - after a few minor changes:

Can you tell I got a new camera too? Holey moley those old pictures are awful!


I purchased the wood letters at JoAnn's and gave them a few coats of black paint. 

The old wash board got some turquoise paint to spruce it up a bit. I also painted an old frame, added the laundry room subway art and added a few accessories.

I still love the tray with all my soap and laundry supplies on it. Remember that I'm vertically challenged so it's nice to have everything within reach. I put the dryer sheets in a ceramic pot that I had and added some ribbon. Much better than an ugly dryer sheet box! Of course those detergent bottles don't look so great but I think I've got a solution for those! (see bottom of post)

The round black rug was a clearance find at Walmart. I got 2 and put the other one in Hannah's bedroom.

My laundry room is really small. I don't even think of it as a room. More like a closet with a washer and dryer in it. Handyman Hubby added some hooks for me to hang clothes on. Using every amount of space is key when dealing with a teeny tiny room like this.


Okay, before I shut up and end this extremely loooong post, I have a question for you all. I have been thinking about making my own laundry soap. What do you think? Do you make your own? I'd love to hear your ideas and thoughts. Thanks bunches!


I have 2 reasons for wanting to do this. #1- Laundry soap is expensive and I'd like to save some money by making my own. Reason #2 - I can put the detergent in a cute little container and get rid of those ugly plastic bottles!! 


Yes I know that is a cheesy reason but hey, I suffer from OCD - obsessive compulsive decorating - so it's really beyond my control!


Have an awesome day!!


Linking up to the following parties:

More Fall Decorating With Family Dollar

Hello! Are you getting tired of my fall decorating posts? I promise this is the last one!


I added some Halloween decor to my fall porch and it looks soooo cute! Of course I used some of my awesome Family Dollar finds too.

It was very windy when I took these photos and the little pumpkin swinger ($2.00 from Family Dollar) kept blowing around.

I added some of the faux gourds and pumpkins from Family Dollar along with one of the tall candles.

I put a string of pumpkin lights around the front door and orange lights in the lilac bush. You can see the face of the pumpkin swinger in this photo. Isn't he cute?  : )


I also added a few Halloween accessories to my half bath. I love the jack-o-lantern towels with the black trim! The pumpkin soap dispenser is from Bath & Body (several years ago) and the pumpkin tea light was a Target dollar spot find.

I filled this wire basket from Hobby Lobby with faux pumpkins.

I think I'm done with the fall/halloween decorating now. All that is left to do is carve a pumpkin but we'll wait until closer to Halloween. I'm not buying any candy yet either. Between me and the kiddos, there wouldn't be anything left for the trick-or-treaters!!


Have an awesome day!!


Linking up to the following parties: