Hello! So I heard really positive feedback from many of you on the thumbnail linky list last week. A few of you mentioned that it was easier to read through the links this way and keep track of where you left off. I really liked it as well because it brought some great visual interest to each of the links and made it way more personal. Loved seeing your pretty faces and of course who doesn’t love beautiful food pictures too 🙂 So I’ll be using it again today. If you have any problems with it please let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do to help you out.
So the slew of boxes just continues to grow and grow. Look at what got packed today:
My containers! Hold tight sweet friends…I’ll free you from confinement soon!
So this week for me is going to be crazy and all over the place. I’m not even going to bother planning a menu. I think it will be just grab and go eating for the next couple of days. I’d feel bad if I didn’t leave you any links though so I’ve got a couple of great resources for you instead:
Refrigerator Magnet Menu Planner (fun free printable) ~ @ Heart of Wisdom Blog
Still struggling with menu planning? Read all about the Hidden Benefits of Meal Planning over @ Life Nickel
And if you’d like some recipe ideas, be sure to check out my Family Favorites Recipe Index and all these other really fabulous recipes indexes.
Have a great week everyone!!
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
(Menu Plan Monday guidelines and banner selections are here)
FoodontheTable says
Great resources! Thanks for hosting this week!
Laura says
Thanks for being here! 🙂
SnoWhite says
Happy Packing! We’re moving this week too — there’s much to do!
Laura says
All the best to you in your move as well!
Liz@HoosierHomemade says
I love the picture linky! On my other blog, It’s A Blog Party, I host a different linky everyday (Tuesday are foodie days) and I always use a picture linky! Such fun seeing all the great stuff!
It looks like your move it coming along. Oh how I hate packing, I don’t envy you at all!
Thanks so much for stickin’ with us and still hosting!
~Liz
http://itsablogparty.com
Laura says
I’ll definitely be happy when this week is over!
Kerri says
Happy Packing and Un-packing.
We tried the salmon and it was fantastic!! Thanks.
Have a great week.
Laura says
Thanks Kerri! And so glad you liked the salmon 🙂
laura @ no more spending says
Thanks for hosting; I love the new link up, much nicer to look through 🙂
Laura says
Thanks Laura, I’m really liking it too!
Tiffany says
I hope you have a fabulous move. Wish I was close enough to bring you a meal 🙂
Laura says
Oh how I would love that too! Your recipes always look sooooo good! 🙂
Audrey says
Cooking on a wood stove would definitely make menu planning more difficult, but that’s what my Big Mommy did!
Tifani says
The new link system really works for me. Good luck packing!
Laura says
Thanks Tifani!
Audrey says
Oh, and two PS’s: Thanks for the printable, and praying for your move!
Laura says
I so appreciate your prayers, thank you!
Gina says
Good luck with the chaos this week!
Laura says
Thanks Gina, I’ll be so happy when this week is over!
Viviana says
Hello, I feel a bit silly but I can not get my image to work. I went to inlinkz but I could not get my About me Image up. Any help would be greatly appreciated! The image is here http://www.theleantimes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/jane-jetson-money-lady2.jpg. How do I store this image so I can use it?
Thanks in advance for your assisitance! x
Laura says
Viviana, after you fill out your url, name and email and then click “next step” you’ll see a page of picture links from your site. Click on one of those to select it or click the tab at the top of the page to select a different image from your computer. Hope that helps!
Barbie says
I’m just checking to see if when I log on to your site, my own link looks different than the others. There is an x above my link and it’s not in blue. The link does work. I’m # 11 today. Am I doing it right?
Laura says
It’s perfect Barbie, thanks!
Laura says
The x is only visible to you and is there in case a participant would like to delete their own link.
Stacy says
Good luck with the move!
Laura says
Thanks Stacy!
Alicia's Homemaking says
Hope the move goes well! Thanks for hosting. 🙂
Laura says
I’m almost done with the packing, whew!
Loretta says
Curious as to why my description (under my thumbnail – #66) is not showing up as a link. I filled out the form as asked – I think!!
Any help would be appreciated, but if it needs to wait until after your move, that’s okay, since the picture link works.
Thanks for hosting in spite of your hectic schedule.
Laura says
It’s working no problem on my end Loretta so no worries 🙂
Julie says
Good luck with the move!
Laura says
Thanks Julie!
Robin says
Thanks for hosting!
Laura says
Thanks for participating Robin!
Michele says
(making ends meet)
Blogaroni and Dees says
it’s “daddy’s favorites” week here at our dinner table! trying to soften the blow of the end of his summer vacation today. :0)
Laura says
Ahh that’s so nice!
The Happy Housewife says
We’ve moved a ton over the past few years and I have to say that unpacking is much more fun than packing! I hope your week goes well and you find lots of food that needs to go. 🙂
Toni
Laura says
I am so looking forward to the unpacking, my favorite!!
Elizabeth @ The Adventures of a Newly Employed Librarian says
Yikes! Much later than I intended this week! Work is crazy this morning! I have lots of yummy links posted this week, so if anyone is in need of recipe ideas, hop over check out the awesome stuff I cooked this weekend! The Orange-Thyme Grilled Shrimp was a huge hit!
I’m also working on a new layout, so I would appreciate anyone who wanted to offer me some advice and/or constructive criticism.
Thanks for hosting, Laura!
Amanda @ Frugal Living Tips says
Laura,
Love the picture linky.
This week I’m thinking about saving time as well as money!
Thanks for hosting this meme that helps get me more organised. Shame I wasn’t organised enough to post last week’s menu;-D
Blessings,
Amanda
Wendy says
My second week here and I’m lovin’ it! Thanks.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much for the link to Life Nickel today, we really appreciate it. Best of luck to you in your move, you’ll be in our thoughts for it to be a smooth transition.
Jenn
Teresa says
Thank you for posting in the midst of your moving! Hope your move goes smoothly!
Aris says
Hi Laura,
this is Aris from InLinkz.com.
Just to let you know that this ‘x’ that appears to your user’s links is only visible by them (the owners of the link) and it is there just in case a participant might want to delete his own link. It is not visible by anyone else.
If there is any issue or question please do not hesitate to drop an email. I would be most happy to help with MPM!
Cheers!
Aris
Laura says
Ahh how awesome is that to have you comment here…hows that for customer service!!! Appreciate it 🙂
Loving this link tool, thank you!
Laura
Martha (MM) says
I told you Aris and Inlinkz rocked! 🙂
debi9kids says
Oh my! I remember those moving days! It’s nearly impossible to eat any type of schedule, let alone decent food. Good luck!
Celiacs in the House says
I can’t believe you’re hanging in there with us and hosting in the midst of a move. Thank You! Love the new linky thing with the pictures. Fun to see everyone’s pics and entices me to visit more blogs.
Wendy
Sherry says
Love the new linky, Laura! 😀 Thank you so much for hosting this each week!
Sherry 😀
Beth says
Thanks for hosting Menu Planning Monday. I needed to get on the ball with menu planning again.
Alea says
Being organized really makes packing so much easier! I have found that a lot of time I can put paper or a towel and a container to prevent the contents from rolling around and then just tape the box closed and it is ready to move. I hope your move goes smoothly!
Edwina says
Well I have been on this site for a very short time and we have just recently moved a few weeks ago so I am very very curious to see how did u get out of the slew of boxes because with having a 5 year old and a 1 year old at home I find it very hard to get back to being organized. Have you planned out where u will get started once u move and when is your move date? Also I would just like to compliment you on a very well put together website it has helped me out alot
Pip says
Happy Moving! It seems like you mentioned moving eons ago, you must be glad to finally be doing it!
Welcome to my neck of the woods!(ish)
Laura says
It has been a LONG five months that is for sure!
Martha (MM) says
Best of luck with the final packing and with the move Laura!
Laura says
Thanks Martha!
Quirky Cooking says
Hope the move goes well… we just moved a few weeks ago, and still have so much to do! It’s a big job. Enjoy the new house! 🙂
Laura says
I’ll be so happy when this week is over that is for sure!
Quirky Cooking says
Had a bit of trouble with linking my blog, but hopefully it’s there now.
tamara says
It is the middle of winter and the food selection at the vege place is boring. I am so uninspired at the moment. Here is my link.;
http://tamarastitterings.blogspot.com/2010/07/monday-menu-26-july.html
I hope your move goes smoothly.
Laura says
Thanks Tamara, me too!
Kristen says
Have a good move! Thank you once again for this whole menu planning idea–I haven’t done it in two weeks and have felt so scattered! It’s good to be back lol.
Laura says
Good to have you back 🙂
Charla @ Healthy Home Blog says
Hope your packing continues to go well. Looks like you’re a very efficient packer! If we ever move, could you come pack for me…lol. 🙂
Laura says
LOL, I hope I don’t have to do this again for a long long time! 🙂
Scrumptious says
Hi Laura!
The new thumbnails are definitely fun! Would you mind asking next week that people with vegetarian menus plans still indicate it (by writing veg, vegetarian, vegan, or the like). People seem to be writing much shorter titles (not so much, “recipes, links, new crock pot chili”, etc. like they used to) but every week I use my search function to just scan for “veg” so I can find the menus that apply to me and I would love to be able to still do that. Thank you so much, as always, for hosting this wonderful project!
Laura says
Yes I definitely will. I can make the name field larger too so people can add more. Thanks for your input!
Amy says
Love the magnetic meal plan – here is one that I have had bookmarked that’s still on my to do list from Red Chair Blog…LOVE IT! http://theredchairblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/make-your-own-meal-planning-magnets.html
Laura says
Oh my that’s awesome, thanks for sharing!!
Jennifer in MamaLand says
I don’ t have a PROBLEM with the thumbnails, as such, but like the pp said, I miss the text-based descriptions. The fields are too small to fill in and properly read the information you’re putting in for your page’s “title/description,” so people are keeping them short and sweet.
My most important concern is that, from a privacy standpoint, this is a 3rd party app collecting email addresses, and I have no idea how they’re going to use that information.
Finally, it’s impossible to simply read through the list in the same way; I think the thumbnails look very cluttered, and don’t really add a personal touch bc many people just use one of the “Menu Plan Monday” graphics.
I visit many sites that use the Mr Linky and I like it very much. If you were to go back to it, I’d be thrilled. 😉
Laura says
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your input. I didn’t adjust the name field character count but I do believe I can lengthen it. That could be part of the problem. I’ll try that for next week and see if it makes a difference. Also I will definitely ask them about the email addresses too just to make sure. Thxs.
Laura
Greta @ Mom Living Healthy says
What a change with the new linky! I like it, but it will take me a while to get used to seeing all the links that way. Change is good though 🙂 Thanks again for hosting and good luck with your packing.
Kelly B says
Such wonderful menu ideas from all these blogs! Thanks!
LisaC says
I, too, am in the midst of a move. I was watching “Neat” the other day (love that show) and got the BEST tip! You know all that shredded paper that we get when we shred bills to avoid identity theft? Helen suggested using that for packing material. I have a trifle bowl with a detatched pedestal (Pampered Chef) and the pedestal was always in danger of being chipped. I took several handfuls of shredded paper and packed in in tight! Helen talked about shredding Christmas wrapping paper and using it to cushion decorations. I am totally doing that!