I'm sharing our Monday routine, based on one of my bff's, Melissa, and her request for me to add more organizational/ cleaning tips... feels funny to throw that out there, but it sounds funny because anal retentiveness is quite natural to me. I'm learning it's not in others (to their benefit)... but, part of that analness can be slightly rewarding financially, mentally, and resourcefully, as stated below!
I started meal planning immediately after Daddy Mock and I moved into our first home. I learned rather quickly that driving 20 minutes to the nearest grocery store multiple times a week was not pleasant, nor economical (at that time we lived in the country). It was quite rewarding, really, as my grocery amount turned out to be near the same weekly, and by the end of the week, we surely got creative with what was left in the fridge/ cabinets.
Meal planning saves money, time, and the headache of not knowing what is for dinner! I plan my day around it. If I know dinner is going to take 45 minutes, as opposed to 20 minutes, I plan my afternoon with the boys accordingly.
It also allows you to choose healthier meals as you really can prepare ahead of time and choose the freshest produce. I usually always have at least one meal with leftovers and I usually leave one night "open" as our plans change and we tend to do bbq's with friends.
The other joy of meal planning is having a clean fridge!
Here is what our Monday mornings look like:
7:30am-everybody up and eating breakfast
8:30am-out on a walk
9:30am-boys play while I write the week's meals and our grocery list to accommodate
10:00am-boys "help" me clean out the fridge (specifically the produce drawers), which also helps with knowing what is left for "inventory" to use--must not be wasteful!
10:30am-grocery shop
11:30am-park
12:00pm-boys eat lunch while I unload groceries
The rest of the day is not specifically needed information, but that is our Monday routine and it works for us. I can honestly say I rarely have to hit up the store during the week unless we have a last minute bbq and aren't prepared for the "fixings".
Having two kids, soon-to-be three, short trips to the grocery store are just not that convenient!
I hope that helps, please give any other tips or suggestions for meal planning/ home organization!
(oh, and yes, that's my word doc on our fridge... I just can't stand to have a post-it--blame it on the analness, yet again)