So many of us as moms feel the stress at dinner time.
The hours between 4:30 and 7:30 PM feel so chaotic for us: I’m still trying to close out my work day, the kids are starting to have meltdowns because they haven’t napped, Chance is just rolling in from work at 6 PM, and I’m trying to have dinner ready so we can stay on track for our nighttime routine (sometimes at different times if they have after school activities). Plus, I REALLY hate having to cook, serve, and clean up at the end of a long, busy day. And don’t even get me started on having to THINK about what to cook – bane of my motherly existence y’all!
It’s uber stressful. If there’s one thing I think we could all use in the new year, it’s less stress in those evening hours!
I came up with a solution that has been working for us since Vivienne was born in June, and I call it my monthly meal plan system.
Why I Created The Monthly Meal Plan System
First of all, I HATE eating leftovers, y’all.
I hate leftovers, and I HATE eating the same thing over and over again (which makes counting macros such a pain for me LOL). I needed a system that simplified cooking, but still included some variety – more for me than the kids, honestly. I also needed a way to have home-cooked meals that didn’t require me to spend hours in the kitchen.
Most importantly, I needed to simplify and systematize our meals (sounds kind of like the things we do in our businesses, right?!?). Instead of constantly changing up our meals and coming up with new things, this system makes things our kids actually like while ensuring they get a balanced meal.
Finally, our boys are big eaters – so I needed to make sure we were getting as much out of our groceries as possible. I have to buy in bulk from Sam’s or Costco to get cheaper prices, but I also need to use all of the food before it goes bad.
We’ve tried Blue Apron, Hello Fresh & Home Chef in the past – and it’s just not enough food, AND it’s still pretty expensive with A LOT of prep work! So I decided to create a meal plan system one month in advance… and it has been a game changer!
How It Works
I prep as much as possible on Sunday, and it’s ready to go. It’s actually less work during the week, because I’ve already washed, chopped and measured everything. And by planning out the month in advance, we’re saving tons of money.
I want to share with you my exact system for planning our meals an entire month in advance. Y’all, I know that sounds like a lot. If you’re thinking, “What if I don’t feel like eating that thing on Tuesday in week 3?” Well, the system that I’m giving you is customizable and easy to implement… you plan to eat what YOU like! And it’s
My family may not eat what your family eats… you’re not planning our exact meals, you’re learning my SYSTEM to apply it to YOUR family!
When you use this system, it will allow you to cherish that evening time more. I really cherish those few hours I get with the kids when school is over before they go to bed. Our family is big on eating together – and this system has created more time for us to spend together in the evenings, and that’s priceless. Instead of me being stuck in the kitchen, we’re all outside riding bikes together 🙂
Plus, I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner anymore. We all know what’s on the menu – even Hunter knows to go and look at the menu instead of asking me! Only problem is Hunter will hold me to whatever is on that calendar so I better not need to change it 😉
It has made evenings so much easier for our family, and I know it will for you, too.
