E-Mealz and Homemaker Notebooks

Admittedly, I really enjoy my role as a homemaker, but that has not always been true. I remember years where being home was just plain hard work. It seemed that all I did was get the children fed, clothes washed, bathed and in bed...just to begin again the following morning. Those years were challenging. Part of the reason was that I was in a foreign country with a very small support network, along with the challenges of living in a 16th century villa. But the main reason was my lack of knowledge as to how to organize my day. Some things just have to be done. Beds made, dishes washed, laundry, etc. But I soon discovered that once those things were out of the way, the fun began! Creating little areas of beauty throughout my home, sewing cute outfits for my children, baking a special treat for my husband to eat at the end of a busy day--those were moments where I felt real joy. Time to spend immersed in God's word, uninterrupted. That is what makes our days sing. For several years now I have used a Homemaker's Journal. It keeps me from having to reinvent the wheel, so to speak.There are several online that you can customize to your own needs (http://www.alittlegraceandcharm.com/ and http://www.organizedhome.com/) Just recently I found a service that is really helpful . It is called http://www.e-mealz.com/.  For $5 a month you can choose menus to fit your families size and preference of foods (in our case, they offer gluten-free) and you choose the grocery store you prefer to shop at. They then send you 7 days of menus, including the recipes, and your shopping list--all chosen based on the sale prices that week. I am printing them off each week and placing them in plastic page sleeves and adding them to my notebook.I make an extra copy of the grocery list so I can feel free to mark all over it and add my extras for that week. On a different note, I have included a pic from an e-book "Watermelon and Fireflies" from http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/. Her blog always is a cheerful spot in my day!