🏡 Welcome Home Monday

Let's Set the Table for a Great Week

🍎 This Week's Welcome Home Thought

School bells are about to ring... and that means routines are returning.

Summer is wonderful because it's full of memories, late nights, spontaneous adventures, and a slower pace. But as backpacks come out of the closet and calendars begin filling up again, it's time to gently guide our families back into a rhythm.

The secret isn't doing more.

It's deciding ahead of time.

When meals are planned, lunches are packed, schedules are written down, and everyone knows what tomorrow looks like, mornings become calmer, evenings become more enjoyable, and Mondays don't feel nearly so overwhelming.

Welcome Home to Club BMG isn't about perfection.

It's about creating a home where everyone can breathe.

So let's spend just a little time today making the rest of the week easier.

 

📅 Weekly Scheduling Made Easy

🍽️ Meal Plan  Click the links to take you to the recipe!  

Monday

Cool and Crunchy Chicken Tacos
Fresh Fruit
Street Corn 

Tuesday

Spaghetti
Garden Salad
Garlic Bread

Wednesday

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Veggie Sticks

Thursday

Breakfast for Dinner
Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
Toast
Fresh Fruit

Friday

Quick Stuffed Crust Pizza
Veggies & Dip




Planning isn't just for meal time at home - it's for meal time at school too.  Early elementary isn't going to eat the same as upper Elementary or Middle Schoolers.  Quantities will be different as well as the taste buds!  (Generally speaking...)  Getting a plan in place will ensure smooth mornings and night time routines.

🥪 Early Elementary Lunches

(K-3rd Grade)

Monday
Turkey & Cheese Roll-Ups
Apple Slices
Goldfish Crackers

Tuesday
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Baby Carrots
String Cheese

Wednesday
Ham & Cheese Sliders
Grapes
Pretzels

Thursday
Mini Bagel Pizza
Cucumber Slices
Yogurt

Friday
Chicken Nuggets (Thermos)
Orange Slices
Animal Crackers

🍎 After-School Snacks

• Apple & Peanut Butter
• Cheese Cubes & Grapes
• Yogurt
• Popcorn
• Trail Mix

---

🥪 Grades 4–6 Lunches

Monday
Turkey Wrap
Trail Mix
Apple

Tuesday
Pasta Salad
String Cheese
Fruit Cup

Wednesday
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Pretzels
Orange

Thursday
Homemade Lunchable
Crackers
Ham
Cheese
Veggies

Friday
Leftover Pizza
Fruit
Granola Bar

🍓 After School

• Smoothie
• Cheese Quesadilla
• Veggies & Ranch
• Protein Muffins
• Cottage Cheese & Fruit

🛒 Weekly Shopping List

⏰Find Your Groove

Use this daily while you get an idea of what needs to be scheduled for what days.  This will help ensure you have adequate time for all your daily activities from your morning personal routine to bedtime!  Once you get an idea of your time requirements, you can use this to fill in your other trackers.  Make sure you figure in your trips to the grocery stores and other negotiable and non-negotiable activities,  (ie: Driving to work or the school drop off, appointments, meetings, after school activities, baby sitters and more are things that need to be scheduled to get an accurate count of available time!

📅 Weekly Planner after you have your time mapped!

Your time map certainly doesn't have to look like mine - This is just what helps me and my team keep up with what I'm doing, where I am and when i'm available too/for them!  I try and schedule my appointments during the mid day time frame so I don't interrupt the work flow.  There will always be those appointments or random things that can't happen at any other time and that's okay!  We learn to pivot! 

Sick littles, a fun lunch invitation or just a phone call that interrupts the normal flow - it's all okay.  Time for YOU is extremely important.  Don't neglect taking care of you because there's a lot on a day's schedule.  Breathing room is important!   

🌿 This Week's Thought

You don't need to manage every minute.  You simply need a rhythm.

Children thrive on routines because routines create security. Adults thrive on routines because routines reduce decision fatigue.

When you know what's next, your mind has room for what matters most—your family, your faith, your friendships, and yourself.

Progress isn't found in perfect schedules.

It's found in consistent ones.

💛 Begin a Gratitude Journal

What if five minutes each morning changed the way you experienced your entire week?

Gratitude doesn't make life's challenges disappear, but it changes what our hearts notice.

Instead of beginning Monday thinking about everything that has to get done, we begin by remembering everything we've already been given.

Over time, gratitude trains our minds to notice blessings instead of burdens.

That's a beautiful way to begin any week.

This Week's Gratitude Prompts

🩷 Someone who made me smile recently...

🩷 A meal that brought my family together...

🩷 Something my body allowed me to do this week...

🩷 One unexpected blessing...

🩷 One thing I'm looking forward to...

🌟 This Week's Welcome Home Challenge
The 15-Minute Reset

Set a timer for just 15 minutes today.

Use those fifteen minutes to prepare your week.

✔️ Write your meal plan.

✔️ Check your family calendar.

✔️ Pack tomorrow's lunches.

✔️ Lay out tomorrow's clothes.

✔️ Put one load of laundry away.

Small steps today create peaceful mornings tomorrow.

Remember...  Welcome Home isn't about having a perfect home.

It's about creating a home where people feel loved, prepared, and welcomed.

💗 Because life is better around the table.

Hello Friends! 

🍋 Sunday Welcome Home

How is your summer going? I hope well and you're enjoying your time! Summer is a great time for reconnecting with friends, family and making new friends!

🏡 Sunday Reset
Let's make this week just a little easier. ❤️

• Toss expired food from the refrigerator.

• Wipe down one appliance you've been avoiding.

• Prep one grab-and-go snack for busy days ahead.

Before Monday rushes in, let's take a moment to slow down, breathe, and prepare for a wonderful week ahead.

Sometimes the sweetest memories begin with the simplest things—a shared meal, a text from a friend, or dinner around the table with the people we love.

Little things really do make life easier.

Here's a happy way to start the week!  

❤️ Around Lissa's Table This Week

This week I'm...

• Reading: Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success

• Listening to my fav 70s and 80s hits! (Especially Billy Joel!)

• Enjoying all the fresh summer fruit and veggies

• Feeling grateful for time spent with my family.

• Dreaming BIG and putting into action so many amazing things I learned at an awesome Convention! 😊

🍽️ What's for Dinner?

Check out these recipes - there are so many to choose from.  Need something in particular?  Let's work together to find what's right for you!

• Chicken and Veggies

• Make it Mexican!

• Salads

• Barbecue Meatballs

• Breakfast for Dinner

• Side Dishes from the Pantry

• Dip into Dessert

Because sometimes the hardest part of dinner is simply deciding what's for dinner. 😊

💗 This Week's Memory Maker

• Reach out to someone you've been thinking about lately.

• Send the text.

• Make the phone call.

• Invite them to coffee.
  
  Sometimes the smallest invitations become the sweetest memories.

☕ Before You Go....

I'd love to hear from you!

What's ONE thing you're looking forward to this week?

 Good Morning and Happy July!

This week is a big week,.  We've all come off the hustle and bustle of the July 4th holiday and now are into the meat of "Mom... I'm bored!"

There are so many things to do and explore in our area and if you do a quick search for the same in your area, I'm betting you'll find some there too!  

Here are some online resources I've found that offer tons of history fun!  If you've got young ones who are all about history or you are and would like to share your love with them, check this site out!

https://thekidsguide.com/

They have a Facebook page too!  https://www.facebook.com/thekidsguides

This being the 250th anniversary, and me living in the Birthplace of America, there is PLENTY to do and enjoy here in the Historic Triangle (Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, VA)

https://www.jyfmuseums.org/

https://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/williamsburg-250/events/

https://gowilliamsburg.com/ 
(This site chronicles some other events and happenings not necessarily related to the 250th Anniversary; ie. Busch Gardens, Water Country and other fun family locations.)

For some really great boredom busters, check out these sites:

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/best-ideas-summer-activities-for-kids - really fun and mostly free activities to enjoy with your kids and things they can do for themselves too!  Also some great ideas for your teens who are babysitting this summer!  

https://thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/family/17-free-things-to-do-with-your-kids-this-summer - she's got some great money saving opportunities here!

https://www.123homeschool4me.com/31-epic-july-kids-activities/ - awesome family fun with the kiddos!!This is actually a homeschool site so all of these are geared around learning.  The fun part about that is that when kids are having fun, they rarely see that as learning!  

                            

                                               ©Pampered Chef

Let's share a little about Kids in the Kitchen!  This is a particular passion of mine.  Not just because of Pampered Chef but because a) teaching is my love and b) providing a nutritious AND delicious meal for my loved ones is one of my love languages. So I present to you this month's segment of 

👩‍🍳 Kids in the Kitchen

Making memories one recipe at a time.

Some of my favorite childhood memories weren't made around the dinner table...

They were made standing on a chair beside someone I loved, stirring batter, measuring flour, sneaking a chocolate chip, and learning that the kitchen is about so much more than food.

When we invite children into the kitchen, we're doing more than teaching them how to cook. We're helping them build confidence, practice math and science without even realizing it, learn responsibility, and create memories they'll carry with them long after the dishes are put away.

Whether they're washing vegetables, stirring pancake batter, setting the table, or proudly helping make dinner, every little job reminds them that they're an important part of the family team.

Because around here...

Good food isn't the only goal...

Making memories is. ❤️

Inspired by ideas shared by Pampered Chef.

Here's a plug for one of my favorite tools (on sale through today, July 13th) that not only gets the kids into the kitchen but gives them a sense of accomplishment, true helping and is fun too!  (Making it a competition with you is fun too!)

So what kinds of things can you see you and your littles or grand littles creating together using the Cup Slicer?  I LOVE having my grand littles with me.  And they love helping too!  We count the slices, we read recipes, we see how mixing ingredients changes not only the consistency sometimes but when the flavors come together how significantly things can change!  Science, reading, math and more and they have no idea they're learning!  

Why It Matters

Inviting children into the kitchen does so much more than help get dinner on the table. Research shows that kids who help prepare meals are more willing to try new foods—and they often eat more fruits and vegetables than children who don't help. In fact, after participating in the USDA's Kids Cook! program, 76% of parents reported their children ate more fruits and vegetables.

Cooking together also helps build confidence and independence. Children who learn basic kitchen skills develop healthier eating habits, greater confidence in preparing food, and life skills they'll use for years to come. Many parents say children are ready to begin actively helping in the kitchen around 8 years old, starting with simple tasks like mixing ingredients, washing produce, peeling vegetables, and even loading the dishwasher.

Perhaps the greatest benefit can't be measured by research at all. It's the conversations that happen while stirring a bowl of batter, the laughter over a recipe that didn't turn out quite as planned, and the quiet confidence a child feels when they proudly say, "I helped make dinner tonight." Those are the moments that become lifelong memories.

Why not take some time to start making sweetest memories with your littles and grand littles?  You won't be sorry you did!

   ©Pampered Chef

While you're setting up your kitchen for making memories and great meals, here's a great recipe challenge for you

Allow your little to slice your fruit for you while you create this amazing dessert together!

     
                                                                       (Click for more information⤴)

For more on Cooking with Kids, visit Pampered Chef's Kids Cooking Club and videos for ideas on making your own memories here:

(click me⤵ )

Kids Cooking Club

🍽 This Month's Meal Planner 🍽

Have you gotten your copy of this month's Meal Planner? 

If not, you can download yours here: (click the photo!⤵) 

Don't forget the Kick Off Event!  We didn't make our goal last month so we're still going!  

🌸 A Little Something for You

And how are you taking care of you, Busy Momma and Busy Grammie?
Don't forget you are the backbone of the family.  And YOU need to be pampered too.  
Here's July tip of the month for some rejuvenation from hot summer days and night for your skin to retain a dewy glow (and not from perspiration!)

☀️ Summer Skin Survival

For Busy Mommas, Grammies & Women on the Go

Let's be honest...there's a big difference between a healthy summer glow and looking like you've just run a marathon in 95-degree heat! 😅

Between chasing little ones, working in the garden, cookouts, baseball games, and family vacations, summer can be hard on our skin. Here are a few simple ways to keep your skin feeling fresh, hydrated, and glowing all season long.

💧 Lighten Up Your Moisturizer
Just like we swap sweaters for shorts, our skin appreciates a lighter moisturizer in the summer. Heavy creams can trap sweat and clog pores, so choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer that lets your skin breathe.

🥤 Hydrate from the Inside Out
Your skin loves water just as much as the rest of your body! Aim for 6–8 glasses each day, and if you've been outside sweating, consider adding an electrolyte drink to help replenish what you've lost.

🚿 Don't Let Sweat Stick Around
After a hot day outdoors, treat yourself to a cool shower. Washing away sweat, sunscreen, and dirt helps keep your skin feeling clean and prevents that dry, tight feeling that can happen after sweat evaporates.

🍉 Eat Your Water
One of the tastiest ways to stay hydrated is through food! Reach for summer favorites like watermelon, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, and cantaloupe. They're refreshing, delicious, and packed with water to help keep your skin happy.

🧴 Don't Skip the Sunscreen
Nothing steals your summer glow faster than a sunburn. A broad-spectrum sunscreen helps protect your skin from damage, keeps it healthier, and lets you enjoy those beautiful sunny days with confidence.

So for July I'll leave you with this:  

💗 Lissa's Memory Maker

This month, invite your little chef to choose one part of dinner they can help with.

Maybe it's washing strawberries.
Maybe it's measuring ingredients.
Maybe it's simply stirring the pot.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

One day they'll remember they were included—not how perfectly dinner turned out.

v

 

 Boredom Buster Alert!

The kids are hot...
They're bored...
You've already heard "There's nothing to do!" about 47 times today... 

Before another screen gets turned on, how about turning snack time into memory-making time instead? 

The Pop 'N Stir makes homemade popcorn in just minutes—and the best part isn't the popcorn...

It's letting everyone create their own favorite mix!

 Butter + Parmesan + Seasoning Salt

 Taco Seasoning

 Ranch Seasoning

 Honey Sriracha for the brave!

Or go all-out with Monster Popcorn!

Mix in:
 Mini pretzels
 Honey or chocolate graham crackers
 Dry roasted peanuts
 M&M's
 Reese's Pieces
 A drizzle of melted chocolate

Suddenly...
Snack time becomes family time.

Because good food isn't the only goal...

Making memories is. 

 What's YOUR family's favorite popcorn topping? I might just have to try it!

 Hey BMG members!  
Hope you had an amazing July 4th!

If you live in another country, do you have an Independence day you celebrate?  What are some of your traditions?  I would love for you to share so we can show our support and appreciation for you and yours!

July 4th where I live was and is a HUGE deal.  I live in Williamsburg, VA... the birthplace of America... Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, the Triad of America's start... So yeah, not only are we a tourist town (that means we have to leave 30 minutes earlier than most to accommodate the tourist traffic that is here 365 days a year) but summer is especially difficult to navigate.  But I love it!  

Why?  Becasue our entire "downtown" is a living museum dedicated to history, learning, sharing, exploring.  It's really an amazing place and I truly love it's architecture, beauty, history and the stories that come from here.  (Boy are there stories!  From Ghost Walks to Presidents and everything - literally everything - in between,)

It's also a great place for great food.  Traditional recipes abound and cooking a traditional 1776 feast is something I've always wanted to do!  So, yeah, no.  It didn't happen this year either.  Can I just tell you exhaustion set in and well, nope.  But I did get to watch an amazing Drone and Firework display on PBS live from Williamsburg on the Presidents Green!  The program celebrating 250 years was great too!  So varied with some great performers!

So share!  What were your plans?  Did you actually get to do that or did you have to pivot?