Menu Plan Monday ~ Jan 26th + giveaway!!
Updated: Thanks to everyone who participated this week, wow! The winner of the most gorgeous Envelope Wallet System is: Krissy from Living Frugal & Loving It!
Hello! How do you like the new banner? I love change and we haven’t had a change in banners in awhile…well okay at least since Christmas LOL. This time I wanted something entirely different than the usual ones I create myself (my skills only go so far) so I hired someone to do it for me. My lovely friend Judi from Doodlebug Designs did this one (and one other that I’ll showcase soon) and I really love the simplicity of it don’t you? Judi is so awesome to work with but I’m telling you it felt like I was stealing from her a little bit because her rates are just so reasonable. Her banner/buttons start as low as $5.00 for some fabulous blog bling!
Giveaway:
Now for some other exciting news which I think you are so going to love. It’s another treat just for participants of Menu Plan Monday. My way of saying thank you to all of you who join me here each week. Mandy of N’ Stitches Designs has created a BEAUTIFUL envelope system wallet to help you stick to your budget and save money!
This is what Mandy has to say about why she created it.
This wallet came about right after Christmas as a way for me to gain better control of my expenses. I knew that paper envelopes would quickly wear out and I still needed a place to keep coins, I.D. cards, debit cards, receipts,etc. I planned a design that would allow me to keep all my financial and important cards in one place. The removeable envelopes and change purse are my favorite features. I can leave the “spending” envelope at home when I purchase groceries so that I won’t be tempted to dip into other money areas. I am proud to say that in January I had $600 dollars leftover to put towards my debt!
How cool is that?! They sell for $32.00 in her Etsy shop but today she is giving one away to one lucky Menu Plan Monday participant!! Just enter your menu link into the Mr. Linky below as usual by Tuesday at 6:00 PST and you’ll be entered. If you are joining us for the first time (welcome!), that’s okay too because anyone linking to their weekly menu plan is eligible. Good luck!
Lastly before I get to my menu for the week, I have to tell you about the awesome cookie recipe that I made for my son that is completely allergy friendly. My son absolutely loved them! If you have diet restrictions check out these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Monday: My daughter’s taking her Grade 4 piano exam in the next town ~ dinner out
Tuesday: Chicken Rice Casserole (also check out the giveaway Sandy has going on)
Wednesday: Pasta Sausage Bake (it doesn’t get any easier than this and it’s delicious!)
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Asian Pork Tenderloin
Simple Supper Sunday
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
Menu Plan Monday guidelines and banner selections here.
Still wondering what to cook for dinner? Then be sure to check out my Family Favorites Recipe Index.
Thanks, for the chance to share my menu
Betty
Thank you so much for hosting MPM every week!
I love Mandy’s envelope, so stylish an a fantastic idea!
Yum! Looks like a delicious week!
I started a new format last week (can’t remember if I mentioned that), so far I think it’s working. Apologize if this weeks is weird, I’m fuzzy right now. I may have to adjust it later in the week lol.
We’ve started doing homemade pizza later in the week. Whoever is around starts the dough in the bread machine, and once your dough is done, it’s a pretty quick and easy meal, plus it’s usually easy to clean up afterwards.
Doing it close to the weekend also means it’ll be a part of the leftovers we have on Sunday, when we are watching a movie – it makes for good food on the couch.
Allie
http://learningtobefrugal.wordpress.com/
I love the new banner — very nice! Those cookies sound yummy, too:)
It sounds like a great week 🙂 thanks for hosting and I love the envelopes!
OoOoOoOo that is SO pretty! And clever too!
Thanks for the link to the vegan cookies- gotta try those for my egg-dairy-allergic son!
Holy Cow!
You ladies link up fast. 9 minutes went by between post and my refresh and I was already at #40!
Love this weekly event. Keeps me in line!
Nice banner. I forgot to put ‘first time’ on Mr. Linky. I hope you all will stop by! It really is nice to find some new menu ideas cuz I get soooo tired of the same thing on repeat. 😉
I’m with Busy Mom – I was writing my post and the MPM post wasn’t up – then poof….I’m 46. lol
This is a wonderful giveaway – and I love how she was able to put so much toward her own debt. AWESOME!!!
I’m doing a giveaway too – hope it’s of interest. 🙂
PS – forgot to say… Love the beautiful Envelope system. What a great make!
Love the banner. It is nice and simple. Refreshing! Thanks for doing us all the favor of hosting the MPM. I’ve really got some great recipes and tips in general from your site. You rock!!
That envelope systems is so cool!
Great Menu this week!
I love the name for leftovers – leftover buffet.
The envelope system is great.
I will have to try the cookie recipe. Our home is an allergy home. Three children & they all have different allergies except “peanut”.
Mandy’s envelope wallet is a great idea.
I love these envelopes! We use envelopes to keep track of our money… what a great giveaway!
That wallet is to die for! She did a fantastic job!
Oops! Accidentally left “First Timer” after my linky. Sorry ’bout that!
The fabric on the envelope wallet is so cool and funky. I love it.
Home made pizza – YUMMY!! That’s the best.
I am sorry- I want to do the weekly menu planning- and I added myself to the list- but I did so before I found the guidelines- if you can delete me that’d be great. I would love to try again and do it correctly. Sorry.
No problem Taryn, thanks for wanting to join us.
Laura
Thank you for doing this. Love the new banner and I love the wallet too! Cool!
I just thought I’d mentioned how funny it is that I was just at a meeting talking about family finances and explaining the envelope method. Thanks for finding such great and helpful ideas and bringing them to our attention.
Love the website! This year is my year to organize my house and my life! And your website is going to help me do that!
That wallet looks wonderful! Happy Monday, everyone!
Your giveaway is so Sweet!!!
How creative is that cute thing? The wallet would be a well used favorite organized tool of mine. Hope I win!
What an awesome looking wallet!
This is going to be a strange and busy week for me… I hope I planned my menu well in order to ease some of the stress! Thanks for hosting MPM for us. 🙂
Thanks so much…slowly but surely different areas of my life are getting more organized! You spur me on. I am on a roll, I have posted Monday Menus for two consecutive Mondays! Thanks, Laura!
LOVE the banner. Already used a different one for this week but that’s getting used for sure next week, baby!
Thanks for MPM. I have been menu planning for years, but this is my irst time joining you.
Yay, this is my first meal plan monday. I’m excited to getting back to organized (as I’m a former menu planner) and to save my fmaily some $$$ on groceries.
Thanks for having me!
Those envelopes are such a great idea!!! and so cute – I love them!
This is my first Menu Planning Monday so, be gentle with me:-)
Thanks for hosting this every week!
That’s quite the long list of planners for this early in the day.
Another week of gluten free menus. I think it’s a habit. Now I’m mining the rest of your site to get organized in other areas. Thanks for stopping by with get well wishes. We’re all on the mend.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR KIND AND SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS AND TO LAURA FOR HOSTING THE GIVEAWAY!! I APPRECIATE IT ALL SO MUCH! I WILL BE SKIPPING MPM THIS WEEK TO KEEP MY POST ABOUT GOING CASH- ONLY UP DURING MOST OF THE WEEK AND THEN POSTING ABOUT THE WINNER. BUT DON’T THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT I DON’T HAVE A MENU PLAN! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Great new banner and I love the giveaway!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog to welcome me to the list! Had a great time planning this week’s superbowl menu!
Posting here helps keep me on the Menu Planning wagon! Thanks!
This is my first time participating in Menu Plan Monday! I get such great ideas from everyone!
You’re menu looks great! Have a good week!
really cute giveaway! And so timely!
We’re having homemade pizza this week, too!
Looks like a good menu this week
Sorry about the mispost..thanks for catching it!
I have pork tenderloin on my menu too!
MJ
What a cool giveaway!!
I love the new banner!
Menu Plan is up! Hopefully we’ll stick to it this week. The last few weeks we haven’t but at least we tried. I’m liking this week as we have leftovers from last night and also cooked Tuesday’s meal yesterday.
Have a great week all! Thanks for the cool contest opportunity too.
A giveaway- how cool!
Your week looks great as always!
I love the new banner!!!
So thrilled to be entered in the drawing. It looks really cute. I am trying a *new recipe everyday this week. Wish me luck!!
I love that envelope holder!! Even if I don’t win one, I’ll be buying one with my “Activities” budget the second half of February. It’s awesome and I am so excited not to have to be carrying around my ugly coupon holder anymore!!
Love the new Logo!!
forget my menu, i’m coming to your house for dinner!! lol have a great week!!
Thank you so much for putting this together! I found it sometime during the last week and it has such an awesome collection of recipes and others menu basics, it’s a huge help in getting started.
Thanks again!
The wallet is adorable and I hope I’m the lucky winner! 🙂
I am excited to particpate in this. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Lori
Oooohhhh…I would be so BLESSED to have this! I started using the envelope system last year and it has worked wonderfully for us. The paper envelopes from the bank wear out so quickly and look so yucky!!
Sorry about the double post to Mr. Linky–I forgot to enter the direct link to my MPM post the first time. 🙁
Well I thought I’d give this a shot. Thanks!
Look at all of these entries. I’ve been reading along and started menu planning a few weeks ago- I’m trying to do 14 days ata time. I’m saving a lot of $ (my goal is to reduce grocery budget by 1/4).
I’m excited about learning from you folks who have been doing this for a long time.
I run a cooking blog for recipes with 5 ingredients or less. I have lots of recipes up (all tried and tested!) with links.
First time here for MPM! thanks for checking it out and I appreciate your recipes and tips!
How cute is that? Mandy is super talented.
What a great banner and a great pouch! Menu planning is a new concept to me, but since organization is my love language, I am excited to try! I am loving your blog btw – keep up the great tips!!
Looks great! I am excited to be participating.
OH I NEED IT SOOO BAD! I would so totally use it everyday!
I just posted my first plan…well see how it goes.
Okay, I linked to your menu plan monday but I messed up the first time. Could you possibly delete my first try, number 442? Thank you so much! And next week, I will know better how to do the menu thing. 🙂
whoops, i commented on the wrong post?! i’m not very tech. savy! 🙂
anyway, i love that you host menu plan monday! it is such a great idea and so helpful!
i love the envelope wallet. it is beautiful! so excited to see who wins!
This is such a nice giveaway. We are cash-using folks (thanks to Dave Ramsey) and I would love to be more organized with our funds while I am out shopping.
Thanks for the opportunity to post menus here. And The Budget Clutch would be awesome! I saw one in Simply Handmade magazine that my pal Heather Brown made and wanted one ever since.
This is my FIRST time on this site and I LOVE it! I must say I was overwhelmed at first by all the links but I think this is amazing! And the envelopes are so cute!
Thank you for hosting. I love doing this every week!
The give-a-way is so cute! MUCH nicer than my tattered envelopes…
I’ve been meaning to try and join in for quite some time – I do hope I can keep it up. I’m on dial-up, so I don’t always get a good connection for blogging. Thanks so much for hosting!
hopefully I remember to join in next week. This is a great idea! So nice to find your blog! FABULOUS!
This is my first week to officially participate here. (I thought this idea belonged to another blog last week. Oops.)
LOVE the adorable wallet!
LOVIN this giveaway – I’d be thrilled!
Also – I’m so glad you linked to that chocolate chip cookie recipe! My brother and his wife just learned that their one year old daughter is allergic to wheat, soy, eggs, milk, and peanuts!! She mentioned having difficulty finding recipes that included all those allergies. Until I clicked on that recipe I hadn’t thought to search for gluten free VEGAN recipes! So THANKS!
A little late this week but I made it back to planning anyway. Thanks for keeping me motivated!
This looks like a great challenge. The link process is challenging my ungeeky skills so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Thanks
Thanks for having this giveaway – what a great item – it looks very useful!
My link is #492. I have several Homemade Gourmet items listed.
Oh, the menus look absolutely delicious this week! Sorry I posted late…ugh. Everyone’s sick in the house and my routine is getting pushed back! Oh well! It’s life! 😉 Oh…and the giveaway is fabulous! Fingers Crossed! 😉 Ha ha!
The new banner looks fabulous on the site!!!
What a great giveaway!
I love the envelope system, and this is a great product! 🙂
I came back today to look through some more of the menu plans!!! WOW!! There are over 500, I hope I find some inspiration! 🙂
I like the new banner!!!!
Thanks for hosting MPM every week! 🙂
I love the new banner!
I love the wallet! It is exactly what I need for my money/budgeting!
Love you website!
I’m late posting this week, but it is up now!
Almost back on track 🙂 You post the best recipes! I need more time to cook in a week 🙂
Oh and congrats for breaking 500 participants! how awesome 🙂
This is my first time participating in MPM. I was encouraged to link up for the great opporutnity to win! I hope I was in on time.
My first try on a menu plan….I will try to be more thrifty by planning!
What a great giveaway! I didn’t do my menu this week, but posted a cake disaster story, for my son’s birthday!
I found your site through econobusters.com. Thanks for helping me get organized!