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Meal Planning for Success

by | Aug 9, 2013 | Grown Up

Being a full-time working mom, I find it quite challenging to keep up with the day-to-day tasks of running a household and being the wife and mom I want to be. As the summer is coming to a close and back to school is approaching, my family’s schedule is bound to grow even busier. So, between work, school and extra-curricular activities, I have found the only way to keep up is to maintain a structured routine when it comes to the daily grind. One of the most important things that I have implemented into this regiment is planning out all of our meals for the week ahead of time.

UnknownTypically on Saturday mornings, I sit down with coffee in hand, to plan meals and cut coupons. It is tough to ensure that we are providing healthy meals while also factoring in the time constraints during the week. So, all of this is taken into consideration when planning for the upcoming week. I start out with a blank meal planner sheet. I figure out what we have going on each night and then select meals accordingly. When we have less time in the evening, I try and do some easier, less time-consuming meals, such as sandwiches, homemade healthy pizzas, crockpot concoctions, or we even enjoy breakfast for dinner! As the meals are determined, I also create my grocery list right there on the same sheet. Once I have it all figured out, I tend to grocery shop on either Saturday or Sunday and lately we have even begun to prep the actual meals for the week on Sunday evenings. This makes it even easier to have a healthy dinner ready on the hectic weeknights. I have found that this method really works for us and I must say, if I stray a bit from my meal planning, we end up eating out more frequently and spending more money! So, in the end, the system is a win-win.

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If you would like to download a copy of the weekly meal planner we use in our household, click here.

If you are interested in healthy meal ideas, we frequently offer healthy AND tasty snack and meal ideas on our blog. Check our Facebook and Pinterest pages for these meal suggestions.

Lastly, are you are an avid meal planner? What techniques and strategies do you have to share? We would love to hear some more ideas!

by Maria White

 

Simple Tips to Eat Healthy While Saving Time, Money, and Sanity

by | Jul 24, 2013 | Grown Up

As an early riser with a packed day, my mental functioning and decision-making start to wane around 5:00 pm. So if I didn’t have a plan in place for dinner, I’d end up spending an inordinate amount of time trying to think of what to make, especially if I didn’t have all of my ingredients on hand. One of the habits I developed when my kids were little was to commit to a meal plan strategy so that I could (more often than not) make healthy, varied, sit-down meals that we could all enjoy as a family with as little stress as possible! The added benefit is that my kids often help in the prep stage which makes them more inclined to eat what is served.

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Tips for Using ALL Your Fresh Produce

by | Jul 19, 2013 | Grown Up

Don’t you hate it when you buy fresh produce and it goes bad before you can enjoy the garden-good quality? Berries, grapes and spinach were the worst for me until I discovered a couple of tricks that have helped me to ‘savor the flavor’ for a longer period of time.  (more…)

Creating a Low Budget and Meaningful Birthday Party

by | Jun 21, 2013 | Grown Up

When my son, Taylor, turned 16 this past year, we were reminiscing about his favorite birthday parties. Much to my surprise, one of his favorite ones was when he turned 6 years old. We invited some neighborhood friends and went on an educational trip to the local Fire Department. From Our House (more…)

Happy Father's Day – Ties that Bind

by | Jun 14, 2013 | Grown Up

Father’s Day is here once again and there are a few things that come to mind when I think of my own dad on this holiday every year … 1) He is very difficult to shop for; 2) He would prefer golf balls over ties every year as his gift and; 3) it reminds me of a couple of the actual “ties” that do bind us, and that is sports and athletics. (more…)