Happy Sunday! Now that school is back in full swing I am craving routine and loving being back on a little bit more of a set schedule. One of my most coveted routines is doing my Sunday meal planning for the week ahead. If you have not made this part of your weekly routine I really, really recommend it! To say this has been life changing for me totally sounds dramatic but I swear it’s true! I have always loved cooking. I love pouring a glass of wine, listening to some music and being in the kitchen but was finding I was starting to get in a rut and dreading it. For me it was not the cooking I was dreading but the last minute trips to the store after work to figure out what to make. That really changed for me when I started planning out my meals inspired by images of food bloggers meals all planned out for the week on Instagram. Not a new concept I know but something about seeing these images so neatly displayed stuck with me! So…when my husband and daughter got me a big chalkboard for the kitchen for Mother’s Day I knew what I would use it for! This really has been a game changer for our family in a few ways. First, I have saved so much money avoiding midweek takeout and can save it for date night instead:) Second, it also allows us to save money because it really forces me to “shop” our pantry, fridge and freezer to plan my meals around what we have on hand and avoid throwing food away and keeps the pantry from getting cluttered with unused items. And finally, it really helps me to plan healthier meals when everything is posted up on the wall for all to see. Let’s be honest.. it looks really bad if I don’t throw some greens in every once in a while. No chalkboard needed but I really recommend grabbing a piece of paper, getting started by picking some meals for at least the next couple of nights and hanging it somewhere in the kitchen to help you stay committed to it!
Hope this simple addition to your weekly routine can help make your life a little easier!
Stacey
