Weekend Look-Ahead

I am super pumped about the long weekend ahead! My office closes at noon on Friday and will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. Will and I have plans to travel up the road to Durham, NC. We will be visiting the precious Miller Family. I nannied for the family's four adorable children for just over a year. The two older boys were in pre-school and I stayed home with the infant twins. I love them with all of my heart. They moved from Columbia to Abilene, TX and then to Durham, NC. I am glad they are a bit closer now. I can't wait to spend the long weekend with them!



The twins: my flower girl and ring bearer

The Miller Family

Monday Meal Plan

For the second week in a row, Will and I stuck to our weekly meal plan. It has really helped us focus on our week, and in the process, save money. We definitely have cut back on eating out. I have been taking my lunch to work rather than going out to eat. This week is going to be a little bit difficult to plan. Will has meetings on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. The only real night we have to plan for is Wednesday.

Monday: Will-meeting; Caroline-salad Will stayed home-Pork chops, mac and cheese, and green peas (from last weekend's meal idea that we didn't cook
Tuesday: Will-meeting; Caroline-sandwich
Wednesday: Homemade 3-Cheese Manicotti and salad
Thursday: Will-meeting; Caroline-takeout

We will be out of town this weekend, so we won't be able to plan ahead for meals. Hopefully next week Will will be home more, and we can plan some yummy dinners in!

Wow! Time flies...

When you are busy!! I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted. We have been busy bees lately.
What all has happened since my last post...
I spent the last weekend in July at Edisto with my parents, my best friend and her parents, and some other friends of our parents. It was a wonderful relaxing weekend away. Will and some of the guys, including my best friend's husband, spent that weekend in Atlanta going to a Braves game. They had a great time, as well.

In other exciting news, Will and I are starting the process of of selling/renting our townhouse and buying a new-to-us single-family house with a yard. We have met with a realtor friend and a recommended mortgage company. We definitely have our work cut out for us getting everything in order to officially start the process. We are pretty sure that we are going to rent out our townhouse and buy a new home. Stay tuned for for more information in the coming months regarding house stuff. Needless to say with us trying to get everything in order, we have mandated a strict budget in our house/lives.

A couple of weeks ago, I volunteered at Mission 2011 at the Carolina Colliseum. This was a great experience. I look forward to helping out again next year. The next day, my family celebrated my youngest sister's graduation from the University of South Carolina! We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments!

This past Saturday, Will and I, along with my parents and family friends walked in the William Wilson Memorial 5k. This event has been held the past two years in memory of William Wilson, a family friend. William passed away after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle on Devine St. We also got to spend time with my aunt, uncle, and cousin from Virginia on Sunday! We had a meal and evening together. Wish we got to see them more often!
Other than those few fun events, we have just been spending time with family and friends, and working of course!
Along with our budget, came the need to plan meals. Will and I have planned evening meals for the past two weeks. We sat down on Saturday or Sunday and plan our meals for the week. We look at what we already have at home in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. We then make our grocery list for the things we need. I find coupons for those items on my list. I use a variety of resources for collecting coupons: Southern Savers, the Sunday paper, and coupons.com are all great!

Week 1:
Saturday: Grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, and lima beans
Monday: Chicken alfredo and salad
Tuesday: Pork chops, rice, and green peas
Wednesday: Tacos (ground turkey)
Thursday: Turkey Burgers, crinkle fries, and grilled asparagus
(weekend nights will not be planned, we will just not slurge too much eating out)

Week 2:
Monday: Chicken tenders on Caesar salad
Tuesday: Caroline out/Will sandwich or leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu, mashed potatoes, and limas
Thursday: Pancakes/Waffles and Bacon/Sausage
Weekend Meal: Pork chops, mac and cheese, and corn

We have actually done really well sticking with our meal plans. I hope we can continue to do so. I think it helps to do our one weekly grocery shopping trip and have everything we need for the week. I hope we can keep up our good work and routine.
Hope ya'll have a good rest of the week!