Hey there!

As I’m typing this, I am lounging in my backyard sipping iced tea and watching the kids jump on the trampoline. I'm praying that we don't end up in the ER, but otherwise life is good.

Times like this remind me how quickly things can change in life.

One season rolls into the next, bad times eventually turn into good and kids go from babies to young adults - all seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The last one is especially relevant at this time because not only is today my middle son's 10th birthday, but in a few short weeks he will be moving on to middle school and my oldest two will be moving to high school.

It seems like a cruel joke that the universe would advance 3 of my babies in the same year, but the universe never asked for my opinion.

Just like with most changes, the only real choice I have is to roll with it. Take each day as it comes and be grateful for each moment.

Optimism is a tough one for me, but somehow I’ve gotten pretty decent at it.

Just like most people, I’ve experienced a lot of tough times. From surviving domestic abuse, teen pregnancy, having a medically fragile child plus plenty of other things that I’m saving for my interview with Oprah 😉 .

All this baggage led to many years full of anxiety and just pure negativity. I thought that I was destined to have an unhappy life or more honestly, like I was unworthy of a happy life.

But thank goodness, the times did change, things got better and I learned that choosing happiness and positivity is really a conscious choice an actual concrete decision (as cliche as that sounds).

To help me work through some of the anxieties that I’m dealing with currently, and to further kick negativity to the curb - I am going to be completing the journal 52 Lists for Happiness by Moorea Seal.

[ReviewDisclaimer]

The book provides a weekly journal prompt which just involves making a list. Almost like brainstorming your way to happiness. Easy peasy 🙂

I want to extend an invitation for YOU to participate right along with me! I am going to kick off next Monday (May 14th) and depending upon the interest, I may do a weekly blog post or even an IG hashtag so we can all keep in touch.

You can snag a copy of the book HERE and if you decide to join - let me know in the comments or email me at sabra@thismomsmenu.com I know that it's short notice, so if you can't get the book in time, and still want to participate, email me and I can help you get started.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me share this week's menu with you guys.

Trenton (my soon to be middle schooler) is performing in his school’s production of Aladdin. We have final rehearsals 2 nights this week, and shows Wednesday through Friday. So we will be busy pretty much every night this week. 

I tried to pick easy, quick suppers - but if I’m being totally honest - there will likely be some substitutions this week and likely a Sam's Club Rotisserie chicken (or two). 

<<Check out my go-to Sam's Club list HERE>>

Monday and Tuesday we are having taco salads which are a family favorite because they are so easy to customize. My kids are all super boring and just want meat and cheese, while my husband and I load ours up with pretty much everything. 

Thursday I’m tossing my favorite butter chicken recipe into the instant pot and serving it alongside cauliflower rice. The recipe I use doesn't include instant pot instructions, but through experimentation I have found that it works amazingly well. 

We are running low on my homemade frozen pizzas - so I am going to get two birds with one stone on Saturday by serving them for supper and also making some extras to have on hand.

You can find all the recipes for this weeks meal plan on my weekly menu pinterest board.

I update the board every Sunday, so if you’re not reading this in real time you can search my Pinterest page to find them. If you can’t find it - then it probably wasn’t a keeper 🙂

So that's it! Be sure to let me know if you are down for 52 Lists for Happiness and also let me know what's on your menu this week!