Moms, summer break is almost over. Just hang in there! No, seriously, spending time with your children this summer has been wonderful, but by now you might be in need of a little bit of stress-relief.  I’ve found a few wonderful resources to help you get through the rest of the summer. Menu Planning Central is giving moms, like you and me, some stress relief help. Get a report on activities for kids, fun recipes, and stress-relieving exercises for mom. These 3 reports are great and absolutely free!

So follow the link below to download your “care package”.

Free Summer Stress Package for Mom

Grocery shopping is not one of my favorite things to do, but it’s got to be done. Getting the grocery shopping done as quickly as possible and without forgetting anything is next in line behind saving some money while I shop. Having a plan before going to the grocery store helps me to stay on track and achieve my grocery-shopping goals.

As I was looking for shopping tips to share with you, I came across an article from Healthy Menu Planner that gives some great tips on how to shop smart and stay within your budget. It aslo gives some great tips about eating healthy.

Hope you enjoy!

Grocery Shopping Tips

I have to admit, grocery shopping isn’t exactly one of my favorite things to do. In case you can’t “hear” the sarcasm in my voice, let me tell you that I’d rather be doing just about anything other than grocery shopping. I tried delegating it to my husband, but we usually end up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and potato chips when I do that.

Since I can’t avoid grocery shopping, I found a few things that make it a more pleasant and most importantly a faster process. I’d like to share my grocery shopping tips with you.

1)      Make a shopping list and stick to it.

Making a list and sticking to it will keep you from buying too much junk. Not only will it encourage you and your family to stick to the new healthy eating lifestyle, it will also save you some money on your grocery bill. Please apply common sense to this though. If you remember that you forgot to put your baby’s diapers on the list, by all means get them. On the other hand, if you feel tempted to get the new chocolate pie because there is a two for one sale, skip it. You get the idea.

2)      Eat a snack before you go grocery shopping.

Never go grocery shopping while you are hungry. You’ll be much more tempted to buy junk food and already prepared meals. You’ll also end up buying much more than you really need. Either go shopping right after a meal, or eat a small snack before you go. Even eating a piece of fruit and drinking a glass of water will keep you from feeling hungry while you are in the store.

3)      Avoid the aisles with the chips, snacks and candy.

Don’t tempt yourself by going down the “junk food” aisles. You’re only human and the candy and snack manufacturers put a lot of money into making their products as tempting and appealing as possible. The easiest way to avoid having those items land in your cart is to skip the aisles entirely.

4)      Buy fresh meat and produce whenever possible.

Buy your meat and produce fresh whenever possible. You’ll get the most nutritional bang for your buck that way. If there is something you either can’t find fresh, or it just doesn’t look good, go with a frozen version. The only exception to this is tomatoes, especially if you are going to cook them anyway. Tomatoes loose their nutritional value quickly after they are picked.             If you are making tomato sauce or are using them in a stew or soup, just stick with canned tomatoes. They are canned immediately after they are picked and contain more nutrients than a batch that has been sitting in a truck for days.

5)      Write your grocery list with your supermarket in mind.

You will make your shopping trip much easier and faster if you keep the layout of your market in mind when you write your shopping list. Think about the departments and isles you go through first and put those items on your list. Mentally make your way through the rest of the store adding your items to your list as you go. You’ll avoid backtracking for an item further down on your list once you are in the store.

6)      Clean veggies and herbs.

Unpack and clean your vegetables and herbs as soon as you get back from the store. Loosely wrap them in some paper towels and stick them in a Ziploc bag. They’ll be ready to use when your recipes call for them.

7)      To freeze or not to freeze?

Portion your meat out depending on how much each recipe calls for. Keep what you will be using over the next two days in the fridge and freeze the rest. With hamburger meat, you may want to freeze any portions you are not using the day you bought them.

You’ll see that by implementing even just a few of these grocery shopping tips, your shopping experience will be more pleasant and most importantly more efficient. You’ll spend less time in the supermarket and more time enjoying your family.

Your Secret Weapon for a Healthy Eating Lifestyle

Would you like us to come up with most of your grocery list? Join the Healthy Menu Mailer today. We will send you 7 healthy dinner recipes a week with a grocery list to go along with it. Start eating healthy.

____ July 1 Finalize your plans for the 4th. If you are having a family picnic, made a few reminder calls to family members who are contributing items to the picnic. They’ll appreciate the reminder and you’ll rest easier knowing everything is covered.

____ July 2 Make sure you have plenty of extra towels and flip-flops for your guests at your pool party. There are always guests who forget and it’s nice to be able to grab from a basket filled and ready. Extra flip- flops protect bare feet from sticks and stones in the yard.

____ July 3 If you are spending the 4th at the beach, take time today to gather together all of your equipment and supplies. Load them into a basket to minimize the number of trips back and forth from car to beach spot.

____ July 4 Take time today to remember why we celebrate Independence Day. If you are fortunate enough to live in the Boston area, or are visiting, be sure to visit some of the sites pertaining to the Tea Party, Paul Revere’s home, The Old North Church and so on. If you have Internet access, and aren’t in the Boston area, you can still visit these places virtually.

____ July 5 Check your garden for flowers and plants that need to be trimmed and thinned out. Deadhead your plants and cut back diseased or yellowed foliage. Your plants will appreciate the extra attention, and you will be rewarded with even more flowers and beautiful foliage.

____ July 6 Now is a good time to plant your flowering fall bulbs. If you store your spring bulbs over the winter, now is a good time to dig those up and store them inside.

____ July 7 Prune your rosebushes and cut off flowers as they brown to promote new flowers. Fertilize your rose bushes and check for diseases to treat as needed. Prune your climbing flowers, vines and rose bushes at this time too.

____ July 8 Your herb garden should be in full swing. The more you use the herbs, the more you’ll have to use. Freeze or dry those herbs you can’t use so that you’ll have them to use long past the growing season.

____ July 9 Check the tire pressure in your car tires and make sure they are at recommended levels. Check your fluid levels on the car and adjust as necessary.

____ July 10 If you own an above ground pool, make sure that all ladders have been removed when the pool isn’t being used, and use is supervised by an adult.

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____ July 11 Summer time can mean lots of outdoor activity. Now is a good time to make sure that all walkways are clear of toys or anything that would block a clear path.

____ July 12 If you have a swing set in your backyard, inspect it to make sure that there are no sharp or rusted edges that could cause injury. Also check to make sure that all parts are securely fastened.

____ July 13 Check to be sure that there is a sufficient amount of sand or other cushioned material like mulch or wood chips under the swing set to cushion any falls and absorb the shock.

____ July 14 Take a break from the heat and take in a movie in an air conditioned theater. Many theaters offer matinees that are suitable for children, and make for a great family outing, without spending a lot of money, especially if everyone avoids buying snacks from the concession stands.

____ July 15 Now is a good time to schedule a chimney cleaning, before the burning season begins. You should find it easier to schedule this now rather than during early fall.

____ July 16 When was the last time you cleaned your coffee maker? Run a pot of white vinegar through a brew cycle. Follow this with three or four cycles of plain water to remove all traces of the vinegar.

____ July 17 Is your barbeque grill getting plenty of use this summer? Take time today to give it a good cleaning. Many gas grills come with a self-cleaning setting on them which simplifies the process a great deal.

____ July 18 Does your local library have a story hour for the children? Take advantage of this time and relax in another part of the library catching up on magazine articles you’ve wanted to read. This will give you some uninterrupted reading and relaxing time.

____ July 19 When was the last time you vacuumed your mattress? This is something that should be done at least once a season. It won’t take very long and you’ll remove mites that can contribute to allergy problems.

____ July 20 Arrange for a sitter and take a ME day. Use this day to do whatever feels like pampering. This is a chance for you to rejuvenate and pamper yourself. You’ll finish the day feeling better and with more energy to continue your regular activities.

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____ July 21 Having to work all summer? Take a vacation or mental health day and spend the day at the beach or at a museum with the kids. It will be a great activity for the family, and you’ll feel like you get a little bit of a summer break.

____ July 22 Has your patio been getting loads of use? Take some time to inspect it for needed maintenance and repairs. A little work now will save you a lot of work and expense later on.

____ July 23 Now is a good time to schedule a cleaning and inspection for your furnace. You’ll beat the heating season rush and be in good shape when it’s time to turn that furnace on again.

____ July 24 When was the last time you had your ducts cleaned? Scheduling a duct cleaning, or even vacuuming them out yourself, will benefit you and your family. Your furnace and air conditioner will also benefit from the cleaning.

____ July 25 Was your spring a wet one? Chances are your carpets took the brunt of the rainy season. Now is a good time to get them professionally cleaned. You will love going into fall with nice clean carpets.

____ July 26 Do you have a child going off to college in the fall. Before you know it, it will be time to get them settled into the dorm or apartment. Start now if you haven’t already, gathering together all the things they will need to get settled in for school.

____ July 27 Summer is by no means over and that usually means pests. Take time to inspect your home for evidence of pests. If you prefer, you can make an appointment with a pest control company and have them come out and inspect, and treat if necessary, for pests.

____ July 28 Remember the taste of homemade ice cream? Not many tastes compare. Treat yourself and the kids to some delicious homemade ice cream. There are many different types of ice cream makers available, from the simple–a ball you put the ingredients into and roll around–to many styles of electric. Indulge and enjoy.

____ July 29 Start planning your back to school shopping now. You may not have a list of required classroom supplies yet, but now is a good time to go through clothing and see what needs to be replaced.

____ July 30 Take a few minutes and chop ice in your garbage disposal to clean it out. You will appreciate the freshening that grinding the ice will provide.

____ July 31 With at least half the mowing season still to go, take the time to check the oil in your mower, and to sharpen the blades. Sufficient oil provides a smoother running mower and sharp blades make the job go much faster.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!™
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