Welcome! For fun I just went back and looked at the date of the very first Menu Plan Monday here on the blog. It was July 31, 2006!!! That is over 7 years of sharing my menu each week with you without missing a single week. No one is more shocked than me. I love this community that joins me here each week and am so thankful for all of you. I thought it would be fun to see how long each of you have been participating with MPM. If you want, leave a comment below telling me the month and year you first joined in the fun.
So we got our first snowfall yesterday. Two weeks later than last year though, whoot!
Since we always get our first snowfall in October, I always struggle with what to do with my fall decor. And by fall decor I mean the simple vignette that I put together on my hutch.
I’ve only had it up for a month but now we have snow outside and Thanksgiving is over for us here in Canada. Yet it’s much too early for Christmas decorations. What should I do? Keep it or change it? If I change it, what do I change it to? I go through this every year, help!
Menu Planning Resources:
Here are some new free printables for you to use. Always good to keep things fresh and fun 🙂
Free Weekly Printable from Organizing Homelife:
Free Monthly Printable from Super Sweet Life:
You also might like this post titled Bringing Back Our Family Meals over at Peanut Blossom. I love and cherish family meal times with my family.
Recipe Highlight:
One meal in particular really stood out to us last week especially considering none of us expected to like it. Isn’t that always how it goes? It was the Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili. It was simple to throw together because you don’t have to cook the quinoa ahead of time, you just throw it right into the slow cooker uncooked. Delicious!
Friendly Reminder:
This weekly link up is for sharing weekly menu plans. I’ve noticed that more and more people are simply linking up individual recipes. While I love recipes, please only link up if you are sharing what you’ll be eating throughout the week. If you want to share recipes along with your weekly menu plan that’s totally fine. Thanks!
My Weekly Menu Plan:
Monday: Slow Cooker Corn Chowder (missed from last week)
Tuesday: Italian Sausage and Potato Roast
Wednesday: Creamy Barbeque Chicken served with rice and carrots
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Pizza Pasta Bake
Saturday: Slow Cooker Maple Barbeque Beef served with mashed potatoes and broccoli
Sunday: YOYO (you’re on your own)
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU PLAN THIS WEEK? JOIN US!
Menu Plan Guidelines, banner selections and recipe helpers are here.
More family favorite recipes here.
Don’t forget to join the growing Menu Plan Monday Facebook Page!!
One of my favorite menu planning resources:
SusieQTpies says
I want to make that chili for sure! Thanks for the weekly menu link up and printables! Happy Halloween, susie
Cathy @ Chief Family Officer says
How about adding some richer fall colors? Maybe some pumpkins, or a bowl of bright red apples. Those things say “late fall” to me without being Christmas-y.
And congratulations on your 7+ years of posting your menu plan! That’s amazing!!!
Laura says
Thanks Cathy!
Karen @ Abundance on a Dime says
My first MPM was June 27, 2010! My how time flies 🙂
I am using quinoa a lot these days; the chili recipe looks delicious!
Laura says
I just love Quinoa! Thanks for linking up each week!
Miz Helen says
Good Morning Laura,
I started coming to Menu Plan Monday in September of 2010, oh my goodness I didn’t realize it had been that long. I guess that time really does fly by when we are having so much fun. Your linky has always been open and you always have something new and exciting for us, thank you for all you do, its awesome!
Miz Helen
Laura says
Awe thanks Miz Helen! I appreciate you being here 🙂
Pat @ Elegantly, Gluten-Free says
It’s been about a year since I started visiting you and linking here — thanks for so many great ideas!
Rita says
We’ve had snow here in Michigan too. Yuck. I think we only have 2 seasons: Winter and summer. Your menu looks very good, especially that quinoa chili!
Wendy, A Day in the LIfe on the Farm says
I have some decorative items that are just winter items. Pinecones, Snowmen, Holly, etc. These items can be used at Christmas but certainly throughout the winter months also. Happy Decorating. Oh, and thanks for maintaining this site for so long. It is a jewel to many of us.
Cricket @ Thrifty Texas Penny says
I’ve been linking up for 3 years 🙂
I would leave fall decor up for a couple more weeks, then transition to winter, but not Christmas. Easy enough to put out snowmen etc that you can supplement with Christmas items later on without having to completely redo your decor. Work smarter, not harder right?
Laura says
Yes definitely! I checked what I had for snowmen though and didn’t really have much of a selection so in order to save money I’m going to keep up the fall stuff until after Remembrance Day.
Kira says
The Creamy BBQ Chicken looks like a keeper, will bookmark so I can try it out.
Stephanie @ The Good Stuff says
I’ve been linking up nearly every week since August 2010! Wow, I can’t believe it’s been that long!
Thanks so much for hosting! I have to meal plan and I love sharing my plan in hopes of inspiring others as I know I gain inspiration from seeing what other people have planned.
Laura says
Thanks for participating Stephanie!!
Heather says
We’ve got slow-cooker meals this week, too! Love it for the cooler evenings. The Quinoa Chicken Chili looks great.
Keri says
I’ve been joining you for MPM since January 2012, but started sharing my weekly plan on my blog back in March 2011. Time sure does fly. Thank you for hosting every week!
Laura says
Thanks for participating Keri!
Antoinette says
Ooooo, that creamy bbq chicken looks great. I think you just filled my Wednesday night for me! Thank you!!!
Elizabeth in Georgia says
I started getting the MPM in August of 2008!! I was in a rut and I needed new ideas! I still look forward to your posts and my week would not be the same without them! I especially enjoy your organizing ideas…I have changed so many of my habits thanks to you. I even shop differently, always looking for fun ways to organize and keep control of clutter!
Thanks for all your talent!
Laura says
Love to hear that Elizabeth, that is terrific!
Mama Sonshine says
Can’t you decorate for winter with out the Christmas touch? Use blue, white, silver with snow flakes and snowmen. Since it is snowing, I think it is ok to decorate with snow flakes 🙂
Laura says
I definitely could but I would have to go buy those things as I don’t have them. So in order to save money I’ve decided to keep the fall stuff up for November and then just go right into Christmas 🙂
KarenE says
Hello! I think it would be appropriate to switch over the cooler colors – such as blues and creams and a little splash of red. Not so much Christmasy colors, but winter colors.
SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen says
I’m pretty sure I’ve been here since the beginning…. if not, then shortly thereafter. It hasn’t always been on this blog, but MPM has been a huge part of my blog and blogging experience. Thanks so much, Laura. I love the motivation to plan each week — it keeps me going and as a result, my weeks run so much better.
Laura says
I love getting ideas from you!!
~~Rhonda says
Laura, being accountable to posting my menu here keeps me in the menu making frame of mind. I’ve blogged my menu since May 5, 2008. Seems like a long time ago…I haven’t made every single week, but have posted most of them. Like I said, it keeps me planning! Thank you! ~~Rhonda
Laura says
Thanks Rhonda for participating here. I really appreciate it!
vicky says
I think you should think about putting up a Rememberance day display. Some poppies and red and black. Maybe a cross? Don’t do Christmas before Rememberance Day is over.
Laura says
Yes I agree, although I think I’m going to stick with the fall until after Remembrance Day as I don’t really want to spend any money purchasing new things for such a short time.