Author: Sarah Marshall

Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2017 for Working Moms

Generally speaking, I find very little difference in the lives of working moms versus stay-at-home moms. We have to feed kids, provide clean clothes, be sure they are at all the activities, try to have the house in order and maybe sometimes even clean, etc.

That being said, there are challenges unique to moms who work outside the home. And I’m afraid when some working mamas see a product called the “Ultimate Homemaking Bundle” they’ll assume that it’s not made for them. That it was created only for stay-at-home moms. So I scrolled through the Product List of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2017 and highlighted a few of the eBooks, eCourses, workbooks & printables that I thought spoke to the struggles of homemaking as a working mama.

The first and probably most obvious is the course, “Stretched Too Thin: 10 Days to Overcoming the Hustle and Thriving as a Working Mom” by Jessica Turner of The Mom Creative. This course (valued at $39.00) includes 10 videos, one per day, that addresses topics such “Establishing Work Boundaries”, “Loving Your Spouse Intentionally” and “Practicing Self-Care”. One awesome perk I didn’t realize came with this course is an additional set of bonuses including 3 more eBooks and a make-ahead lunch meal plan. I’m eager to get started on this course as soon as tomorrow!

Additional resources I thought could be especially helpful for working moms:

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine
Your Morning Manual: A Guide & Workbook for Resetting & Maximizing Your Mornings by Emily Bredeson
What’s 4 Dinner Challenge Meal Planning eCourse by Erin Odom and Holly Dvorak
Making Big Life Changes Together: Pursuing Your Dreams as a Couple by Haley Stewart
Boundaries and Margins Webinar by Saren Loosli
Command Center 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Command Center that WORKS for Your Family by Meredith LeRoy
The Paperless Home: How to Use Evernote to Organize Your Life by Abby Lawson
Busy Mom’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Cookbook by Carrie Willard
Delicious Dinners in Under an Hour by Mique Provost
30 Days, 30 Ways for Mothers to Take Care of Themselves by Angela Henderson
Mama’s Best Self: Where Frazzled Mamas Find Peace by Amanda Rueter

and any of resources in the Work+Life Balance category:

And I’ll be honest, I highlighted a bunch more but scaled back so the list wouldn’t be overwhelming!

So to my working mama friends, don’t feel like there’s nothing for you in this Ultimate Homemaking Bundle – they’ve got you covered!!

But don’t wait – the clock is ticking and it won’t be available much longer!!
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5 Things I’m Looking Forward To This Week

Every Monday morning my Facebook feed is full of Memes and status updates bemoaning the arrival of the first day of the week.  Typically I’m right on board with all of those sentiments and have been known to contribute a few of my own.

However as I woke up today, I find myself not dreading Monday but welcoming it instead. I was excited about the possibilities of the week and energized by them!

Here are 5 things I am looking forward to this week!!
New season of Catastrophe premieres on Friday!

Brooke finishes TNReady testing & has a sleepover for a friend’s birthday!

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The promise of Chinese takeout

UGH! Why... WHY? Why must they want dinner EVERY single night!?!

No more strep throat!

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Maybe a quick trip to Dollywood this weekend???

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None of these are huge momentous events but it’s nice starting the week in a spirit of hope & optimism as opposed to dread and negativity.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Bi-Weekly Meal Plan – April 24, 2017

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Meal Plan Monday

Meal planning for two weeks at a time has proven to be really effective for us. I’ve found it really beneficial to be prepared and ingredients on hand for double the number the meals. It allows me more flexibility which has been vital in the past few weeks where I’ve gotten sick (strep is the worst!!), kids have gotten sick, and Keith’s spring sports/work schedule can be changed at the drop of a hat.

It took me a little while to get in a groove of the two week meal plan. Now that I have, I feel that our grocery budget has been reduced. We’ve have some anamolies, such as spring break in March, that keeps me from declaring with certainty that this method is saving us money on groceries. But at this point, it seems quite possible.

Our breakfasts and lunches have become very routine so planning for them has become quite simple. We’ve found some new dinner recipes that are a hit with everyone and hope to share some recipes here on the blog real soon. Brooke has plans over both weekends & Keith will be gone the second so I left the weekends open because Leah & I are pretty easy to please and I’m sure there will be leftovers to throw into the mix.

Meal Plan for April 24 – May 7, 2017

Breakfast

Eggs & Toast
Smoothies
Yogurt & Granola
Breakfast Bars

Lunch

Leftovers
Salmon & Veggies
Sandwiches
Salads
Homemade “Lunchables” (Brooke’s lunches)

Dinner

Cheeseburger Pie
Oven Tacos
Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops
Baked Penne with Sausage & Peppers
Burgers
Creamy Italian Chicken
Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Stacks
Easy Taco Salad
Mexican Pizzas
Weeknight Creamy Sausage Pasta

Below is a screenshot of my Plan To Eat planner to give you an overview of how I have meals planned each day. As always, nothing is set in stone.
BW Meal Plan 2017.04.24-05.07

Have you tried meal planning for longer than a one-week period? What did you like or not like?