A Month of Dinners: Menu Plan for October

In an attempt to make our lives a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for October at once.

What a week, you guys. I've been putting in full days at the office and taking work home at night to meet tight deadlines. Just when I thought I pulled myself through it, Caroline's teacher called. She had a fever of 102.1 and I had to come pick her up.

My responsibilities at work and the needs of my family have tested my ability to balance at lot of things at once. Not to mention my volunteer work and my blogging tasks... and, while I'm beyond exhausted, even I'm impressed by how I've managed to "do it all".

One of the things that helped keep me on track was our monthly menu plan. Since I already knew what I was making for dinner, I was much more efficient in the kitchen when it came time to cook. That made all the difference when I sat down to work after Caroline was down for the night.

With last month's menu plan as inspiration, here's what I've planned for October... I just hope I can keep this momentum going!

DIY Alphabet Wall Art for the Nursery

In one afternoon, you can create a personalized piece of alphabet wall art that would look great in a nursery, a playroom, or a child's bedroom!

Our house is a bit of a mess right now. We're in the beginning stages of a multi-step project to reconfigure some of the rooms. By moving a bookcase out of the living room and rearranging some furniture, we made room in one of the nooks for my new desk.

I'm moving out of my home office upstairs so we can use the room for Caroline's new playroom. I haven't used my office since before she was born, and the room just became a dumping ground for random things. Now that I'm working full-time, it didn't make sense to waste that space anymore. We have a long way to go until we reach the finish line on this project, but it's a start.

Family-Favorite Potato Salad {and Some Thoughts about My Mom}

This potato salad is a family-favorite. It's the perfect dish for any occasion, from a backyard barbecue to a football tailgate.

First-day-of-school photos flooding your Facebook feed. Pinterest boards filled with healthy lunchbox ideas for kids. PSL everything. Judging by my online world, fall is here.

In real life, though, we're heading into a short heat wave and I'm clinging to summer for as long as I can. Even though I love the fall, I'm refusing to get into an autumn state of mind. Instead, I'm writing about potato salad, a side dish most often associated with summer.

I wanted to share an updated version of my mom's recipe for potato salad last summer. But that didn't happen. And then I planned to share it with you last month. Again, that didn't happen.

I had decided I was okay with delaying the post for yet another year to try and keep my blog content related to the current season. But then I had a panic attack one morning after coming to a terrifying realization -- I'm starting to forget my mother.

A Month of Dinners: Menu Plan for September

In an attempt to make my life a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for September at once.

I've been at my new job for about a month now. There are days when I feel like I've settled into a comfortable rhythm. And there are days when trying to balance everything seems so completely overwhelming.

I know I'm not the first working mom to feel this way. From what I hear, these kinds of up and downs are pretty standard. They come with the territory. Even so... I know there are still some adjustments Stephen and I can make to our routine to make our lives a little easier.

That's why I've fallen in love with my monthly menu plans all over again. They take a some effort to organize, but the effort is definitely worth it in the long run. Especially if it means eliminating the "what do you want for dinner tonight?" question.

With last month's menu plan as inspiration, here's what I've planned for September.