Cozi Menu Planning

     Happy Saturday!  I promised I would be back with a review of the Cozi Menu Planner, so let's just dive right in.  One of the things I have been struggling with lately is menu planning and grocery shopping.  I know, you are wondering how a magnificent couponer like myself could be struggling in this area, but I am!  Now that my kids are all getting bigger, we are going through food very quickly and it seems like every time I start to make a meal, I am missing a key ingredient, which causes me to give up and walk out of the kitchen with no dinner!  The Cozi menu planner appears very promising for me and my issues.
     The Cozi Menu feature is really exciting me for a number of reasons.  First, the Menu planner has a recipe box where I can enter all my favorite recipes, they are stored and listed alphabetically.  I can also adjust ingredients and make any notes I want to remember about a particular recipe. As I sit down to plan my menu, I am able to click on the recipe I want and drag it to the day I choose.  After I drag over all my recipes, I can choose to add those recipes to my Shopping List.  Cozi populates all the ingredients in the recipe right to my grocery list!  I can then go through my cupboards and see what I already have and remove those items from the list.  Voila!!  In a matter of minutes, I have a menu for the week or the month and a complete grocery list.  The best part?  I can send the list to my phone, or better yet, to Mike's phone for the grocery shopping adventure!  No more missing items from my cupboards when I start to cook dinner!  Check out the pictures below to see the menu and the lists.  Then, go to the Cozi website and try it for yourself!

Here is the calendar view.  On the right you can see the recipes I have added.  I just have to click on one and drag it to the day of my choice.

Here is a view of the grocery list.  You can add and remove items individually.

Taming the Calendar

     I just love Fridays, do you?  There is such a relief to know that another week is completed and we accomplished all that needed to be done.  Even if we were somewhat crazy each night trying to hold it all together.  I am speaking strictly from my own personal level of craziness throughout the week of course, but I am sure a few of you can relate!
    Just this week, however, I reacquainted myself with an online too I hoped would help.  Much to my surprise, the Cozi Family Calendar has been updated and so far seems like it will be just what we need to find a little sanity for this mom!  The Cozi Family Calendar is a free online calendar, menu planner, to do and shopping list maker.   I know, I know, one more thing to look at and think about, however, there are some really useful features and I feel they will truly help me to organize and simplify.
      Today I will highlight the calendar feature. The calendar gives each person in your household their own color, so when individual members have something on the calendar, it is color coded, therefore easy to manage each person's schedule.  Next, there is a specific color that applies to the family as a unit.  So if you are scheduling an event the entire family will be attending, that also is easy to spot.  the exciting part is now Cozi is now compatible with many other calendars and has apps for your cell phone and tablet, as well as an outlook toolbar and desktop gadget, so everyone in the family can have access wherever they will use it most.

Here is a snapshot of my calendar.  As you can see, our "All" appointments are designated with an orange circle.  My appointments are designated with a red circle and the rest of the family has their own colors.  

I can also click on an appointment and see the details.

      Mike and I have a hard time communicating about schedule for some reason and always end up irritated or just over-scheduled, so now, he has the app on his phone and I have the gadget on my computer.  Each day, we are sent reminders and are able to see what the whole family is doing.  I am ready now to show our 10 year old how to enter the things she has going on!  I am foreseeing weeks ahead without the chaos of miscommunication, missed deadlines, last minute projects and 42 things happening at once!  Best feature?  By being the wonderful cost of $0, Cozi is definitely a tool that is helping us to THRIVE in this economy. Click on any of the links above and check it out and come back tomorrow for my review of the amazing Menu Planning feature!

New Name!

     Good morning!!  Here we are in Phoenix with another beautiful day!  You may have noticed the title of my blog has changed.  Well, of course you have, how could you not?!  For those of you that read my blog regularly...or whenever I post (yikes!), you may remember last year sometime, I posted on a book I read that changed my thinking.  Here is that post Surviving No More. 
     Anyway, I have had a hard time thinking about the blog, but wanting to share things with you (silly, I know), so I made the decision to change the title!!  The new title reflects my feelings better now.  You need to know that there have not been any significant changes in anything other than my mindset, so I am still working on life the same way, just with a renewed sense of thought!!

Time for Ice Again!!

     Hello!!  I hope today finds you enjoying the wonderful weather we are having here in Phoenix!!   The afternoons are getting hotter and summer is coming...faster than I want I am afraid.  Luckily, Disney on Ice is bringing a cool alternative to our hot afternoons back to the Valley very soon!  I am terribly excited about this show titled, Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic.  

     I have to say, I am always interested in some Disney magic!  Since we are not able to make a trip to Disneyland this spring, we are excited to experience a little of that magic at another spectacular Disney on Ice show!  The show is coming to US Airways Center, April 12th - 15th, 2012 and is featuring all our favorite characters!  You will not want to miss this exciting show!
     I am happy to report this incredible deal!  You can purchase 4 tickets for $44 by using the code NALA at ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or send an email to me for a flyer you can use at the US Airways Center Box Office (this would help you avoid most ticket fees).  The code is good for the following performances:  Friday, April 13th 10:30am and 7:30pm, Saturday, April 14th 7:30pm, and Sunday, April 15th 1:30pm and 5:30pm(excluding Front Row and VIP seating). A minimum of 4 tickets is required; additional tickets can be purchased at $11 each. No double discounts. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply.  Tickets are already on sale, so do not wait to get yours!!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.