Weekly Menu Plan

A calendar on my refrigerator with meals assigned for each day of the week. (Updated one week at a time) Wow. How did I let that one get by me? After seeing this technique in place, I was intrigued!

After three months of making a weekly menu plan in advance the following benefits have been found:

• Saving money by not overspending at the grocery store.
• Food wasting is decreased.
• Not stressing out on figuring out what to make for dinner each night.
• You should have all dinner ingredients on hand if the week was planned properly.
• Your spouse will be enticed by the dinner treat he can expect when he arrives home and by the new less stressed you!

How to get started...

1. List all of the meals you currently make for dinner.
2. Get the grocery circulars that come in the mail and see what items are on sale.
3. Compare what is on sale to your meal ideas list and try to make the best buys.
4. Try your best to by coordinating items. (lettuce and tomatoes for tacos one night and a salad the next)
5. Each week you can add one new menu item to your list and in no time your variety will be huge and you will find ways to use all of the shredded cheddar cheese or cilantro you bought for that one recipe you just had to try.

Here are a few sites that inspire with great shopping techniques and new meal ideas.

http://niftythriftythriving.blogspot.com/
http://themealplanner.blogspot.com/

http://cookingclaire.blogspot.com/
http://notesfromthetable.blogspot.com/

Happy Meal Planning!

Bringing Order Into Your Car

Although a simple idea, here is a post on something you may have thought of but simply not gotten around to.

In your most used vehicle, stock one small freezer bag under each child's seat filled with the following...

• underwear/diapers
• socks
• pants or shorts
• long or short sleeve shirt
• wipes (even if your child is out of diapers)
• empty freezer bag for soiled clothing

Based on my experience this past week -- my son atop hills of dirt/mud on two separate occasions prior to getting in the car -- I encourage all moms to stock with these essentials. During both of these random experiences I was able to let him experience the dirt only as a child can, stress free for me!

One might think that a diaper bag covers these dilemmas. This technique has made for lighter diaper bags. It has also assisted when I was "sure" there was an extra (fill in the blank) inside the diaper bag.