Menu Monday- Healthy on a Budget

One of the things that helps me most when it comes to having more money left over after a  visit to the grocery store is having a list, a menu planned and a budget. My weekly budget for our family of two breaks down to $40 a wk. This is spent $60 twice a month with $10 a week left for incidentals.

So what is one the menu this week? Well I am sticking with meatless meals at least 3 days a week. This is not only good for the pocketbook but good for the environment as well.

Menu

Monday-Quick Fix Bbq Faquitas

Tuesday- Like Laura I like doing breakfast for dinner so we too are doing pancakes but we are doing banana pancakes.

Wednesday- Taco Bowls. Roo loves to help with these and they are easy to make. We substitute TVP  for the ground beef.

Thursday- BBQ Turkey Burgers and salad

Friday-Pizzalicous and broccoli and dip

Saturday- grilled cheese sandwich’s and veggies and dip

Sunday- Potluck at church. Im bringing Strawberry Swirl Cake.

Now I am off to read what is cooking this week in other homes over at Laura’s.

Fork in the Road

Ever have those times in your life when you know things are about to change with you or without you?

That is where i am at. Things are going to change very quickly around here in the next couple of months.

The upstairs tenant let us know that they are moving out at the end of July. That means we don’t know who will be upstairs when we get back from Nova Scotia. This scares me a bit because we have had an amicable relationship with those upstairs currently. It also worries me because the upstairs tenant has access to our unit through an adjoining door. They are only supposed to use it in the case of an emergency, but this worries me because someone I don’t know will have access when I am not here.

As well on the Roo front I am not liking who is teaching her next year. I have already had several problems with the teacher this year, even Roo receiving a head injury in the classroom that no one informed me of till Roo told me hours later. I also have had problems with her poor organizational skills which are passed on to Roo.

So I am asking myself is it time to move? I am looking for a fulltime job so this may be the perfect time to do both. So this is what I am pondering on the home front. Things are changing, new paths are about to be taken that will effect our future.

Getting Ready for Summer Fun in the City

 Roo and I are busy planning what things we want to do this summer here in Toronto…. There is plenty to do without spending an arm and a leg. One of the resources I have used for a few summers now is a free events for children site hosted by Today’s Parent. I love Kid Summer. For $10 you can register your child for 3 events that take place this summer. There are also lots of events that you don’t have to register for. Registration for the summer events start on June 17th.

What am I planning to do with Roo on our Shoestring budget?

• We love Ontario place and with Roo having a free  pass this one in a summer tradition in our house.
• Treasure Island Toys near Pape and Danforth have Crafty Wednesdays back again and since this is walking distance I’m sure that a few of our Wednesdays we will hit here. The best thing about this they give you a coupon for 20% off the craft stuff in the store.
• The city pools- this is a great free way to cool off and we have one that we can walk to
• CBC hosts two days of Kid summer fun on July9th and 10th. Lots of cool stuff for kids,especially the younger set, but Roo still enjoys it.
• On July 18th we will do Casa Loma which will be free that day for Roo..
• On July  25th we are planning a trip to the zoo, again it will be free for Roo.
• Weekly trips to our local library. We love thier summer reading program.
• Volunteering once a week at our local food bank.
• A trip to the CNE

Then in August we get to get out of town for 16 days as we take our train trip to the East Coast. We are so looking forward to seeing family and taking in some of the things that will be going on down there. We are planning a trip over to PEI where we will take in all that is Anne of Green Gable. What a yr to do it too! Anne is 100 this year. We will also do the Bay of Fundy and take in Buskerfest when we hit Halifax. 

As you can see we have lots planned and can you beleive my summer spending for fun and travel is only $700. Staying with family and being gifted the train ticket makes the trip east affordable. Going east with $500 and have $200 for in the city spending.

Hope your summer plans are coming together…so what are you doing where you are?

Butterflies and Me

 For the past few years Ive had a love affair with butterflies…I love where they come from and the work and time it takes to become something of beauty. The past few years I have felt as if I was in the cocoon of life learning and growing yet dormant in so many ways. I believe that a life of beauty is being created for both me and my daughter Roo.

Since this is my first post on a new blog let me introduce myself. I am Hollie, mom of one beautiful tween daughter. I live in Canada’s biggest city, in a good neighbourhood. I love to read, scrapbook, walk and love all that Toronto offers but with that said since my teen years I have loved to explore this country. I have lived in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Brandon, Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and Truro. I also spent 3 years state side living in the Venice beach area of Los Angeles, and in small town Carlsbad New Mexico.

I am a believer in a loving Heavenly Father, who loves us no matter what right where we are. My relationship to God makes me better..

I am a solo parent to a special unique tween! Roo is 10 and will be in grade 5 in the fall. She is smart, kind, compasionate, active and loyal…She also walks the line between ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome, which brings some challeges into our lives.

I try to live a organized frugal lifestyle, looking for the best ways to stretch my dollars so I can do more on less..if this is your first time reading one of my blogs I do share what I find so we can have lives of abudance on less.

Right now we are preparing for a summer of fun in the city on a shoe string budget while getting ready for our great train trip to the East Coast in August.

So welcome to my new blog…where I will type about my life, my thoughts and a few things in between.

If you want to check out my old blog you read it at Cheaper than Cheap.

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