How DO YOU do it? A Plea for Tips, Tricks and Ideas

Okay.  

It's that time of year again.

School is back in session and so are all the after school practices,

football games (they start this Friday night),

homework time,

LOTS of routine.

So many things to keep track of, get scheduled, etc.

So, I bought a BIG dry erase, one-month calendar page

that will stick to the fridge.

The spaces are large enough to write in everything we have to do,

everywhere we have to be.

I hope.

Anyway, I'm working on getting that filled in 

and I'm also getting back to my meal planning 

and putting to good use my meal strategies 

that make my life a little easier.

I always try to keep 1 lb. pkgs. of browned, crumbled 

ground beef in the freezer for quick meal fixes,

and the same with Italian sausage.  

It makes it so easy to whip up a fast dinner.

But right now I need to stock up on...

well, pretty much

EVERYTHING!

So, all you busy moms out there,

share your secrets with me!

What is it that you do to keep it all 

running smoothly during those busy times?

Also, I have another issue I'm attempting to tackle.

Tucker has always carried a lunch from home

more often than he's eaten hot lunch at school.

Between his food allergies, texture issues 

and just plain and simple picky-ness, 

it's always been easier to assure that he had enough to eat

by packing his lunch.
Some days I just wanna say:

But now, with dietary guidelines being enforced,

school lunches have gotten so bad that even Perri

is packed most of the time.  

Let me tell you,

if Perri won't eat it...it's pretty bad.

So I'm packing a LOT of lunches these days 

and I'm really sick of packing the same ol' things.

This is me most days:

 See the confusion?

Is there anything unusual that you pack for your kids?

Any ideas you'd be willing to share?

Breakfast ideas are most welcome, too,

I'm currently on the lookout for recipes for nutritious 

but tasty muffins, breakfast bars, and any dishes

that could be made ahead of time to serve them before they

leave for school.  If they can hold it in their hands and eat it on the run,

so much the better!  Some of our mornings are rushed.

But we also have mornings where there is time to sit down

and eat a good breakfast before we leave the house.

If you've previously posted this sort of thing on your blog,

just leave me a link in the comments! 

If not but you're interested in hearing about the ideas 

I receive from others, let me know.

I think it would be great if we'd all band together

and share what works for us when it comes to 

streamlining our busy mornings

and keeping our kids healthy and well fed.  : )