Happy FIRST Let’s Look of 2023! Shay and I team up once a month to share a little look at how we each do something. And we invite all of you to join us. The goal is for all of us to learn a little something or take a piece of something someone else does to make our lives a little easier. Sometimes Shay and I do something similar and sometimes we take one subject and each go in completely different directions. This is the line up for the rest of the year. The second Wednesday of the month we’ll be covering these topics…
We’re talking all things scheduling and organizing our calendars for our families. I’m by no means an expert on all things organization {if you’ve been reading here a while you’re well aware of that} BUT I somehow manage to get all six of us to where we’re supposed to be most of the time. I have some things I do each and every week that makes that part of my mom life just a little easier so I’m gonna share all those today. I hope something helps and PLEASE share something you do! I’d love to make this little routine even better. This is how I do it…
#1 WRITE IT DOWN!
I started using the Cozi app last year and even managed to get Tab signed up. That’s where I put all of the sports’ games, every practice, any appointments, therapies, and anything else that applies to me or the kids. I’ve found that if I’m given an entire season schedule it’s much easier to add things on my computer versus the app on my phone. Weekly practices can be edited to appear each week and you don’t have to go in and physically add those. This helps tremendously because there are times I need to know a date or add something to my calendar and all I have is my phone. Well with the Cozi app, that’s all I need. So that little app holds most of our life. 🙂
For my work stuff and blog stuff, I prefer a paper calendar. It’s nice to see something and hold it in front of me as I’m working. I have a Simplified Planner where I put all my Mix and Match Travel appointments, blog posts, etc. I use a pencil so I can switch things around or tweak times if I need to do just that. This calendar stays with me when I’ve got my computer and am working.
#2 PLAN IT OUT
Every Sunday or early Monday, I sit down with my Cozi, my paper calendar and my computer to plan out our week. I look at the weather {because I don’t wanna be eating beef stew when it’s a crazy warm winter day, know what I mean?}, I look at Shay’s blog for recipes or Pinterest, and I look at our Cozi app to decide what kind of nights we’re going to have. For instance, my cooking motivation goes down when Tab is out of town. If everyone’s gonna be eating at random times because of practices I might make something that everyone can reheat when it’s their turn to eat or I make something that’s just ready and waiting in the slow cooker. NERD ALERT-I absolutely LOVE doing this! I know this way isn’t for everyone. My sister-in-law and I were discussing this over Christmas Break and she’s not a fan of meal planning this way. She just buys the groceries she uses in most things and then decides later if they want spaghetti or tacos, etc. So, I know this isn’t everyone’s preferred way, but just sharing what I do that works. As I’m meal planning for the week, I’ll pull up my local grocery store to place my order. This process probably only takes about 30-45 minutes after I add breakfast and lunch food for the week, but it makes me feel like Super Mom.
Another Nerd Alert-I LOVE hearing what others are having for dinner. Is that just me or does every other Mom Chef feel that way? So humor me and please tell me what you’re having for dinner in the comments. Aren’t we all looking for new ideas?! I’ll go first…
Monday-Well, that was a little bit of a special night. The National Championship Game was on so I ordered a fun little football game inspired charcuterie board from a local McKinney Mom. Her boards are GORGEOUS! This was our snack on Monday…
How CUTE is that, right? I was nervous to eat it but my kids dug right in. And that little magical dip in that jar was fabulous! I made Shay’s Cheeseburger Sliders for dinner because it was a snacky kind of night.
Tuesday-I found this recipe online so we tried it last night. French Onion Chicken and I served it over rice with broccoli. Everybody in my family likes french onion soup so it was a fun little take on that with some protein.
Wednesday-Super random but I made Chicken Pot Pie last week and my kids seemed to love all those vegetables all mixed up together so I’m trying “Hotdish” tonight, which is just a Minnesotan way of saying what we’d refer to as “Tater Tot Casserole”, here in Texas. I’ll serve this with a salad and feel great about all those vegetables my people are eating.
Thursday-Tomorrow we’re having beef stew because a #coolfront is supposed to come right on through McKinney. You guys who live in the north are probably rolling your eyes. Yes, it’s in the 80’s today so the 50’s would be considering a cool front, right? ;). Also, when I meal planned this weekend I was clearly feeling good about the vegetable mixtures. haha! Two nights in a row!
Friday-we’ll enjoy dinner OUT!
#3 DO I NEED A DRIVER OR CARPOOL?
It’s at this same little meal planning session where I take a look at what my kids have going on with practices and games. I check to see when Tab’s out of town and then I make the call on setting up any carpools or getting a high school driver to do some driving for me. With four busy kids and a husband who travels often, I can’t keep the ship afloat without carpooling and high schoolers.
#4 CHECK THE CALENDARS
This isn’t really something that must be mentioned but I’ve had friends {and have even done it myself} who take the time to do complete #1-#3 but then forget to check what they’re supposed to make so those random ingredients go unused.
And that’s pretty much it! Now you’ve gotta tell me how or what you do to get your families scheduled and organized each week? PLEASE SHARE! Happy Wednesday, Everyone!
I’ll see you back here tomorrow with a new product review!
XO
Yes, I plan my meals out the same way you do with deciding exactly what I’m going to cook. My Mom does the same as your SIL and just buys a bunch of ingredients and different meats and decides later. I just don’t roll like that. Tonight, I’m making a Chicken Mushroom soup that I got from here. https://tasteandsee.com/chicken-mushroom-soup-low-carb/
Thank you for sharing, Alison! That soup looks delish!!
I love finding out what other moms are cooking! I meal plan too and I always check the weather too! We are having green chili stew tmrw b/c of the cold front. 😂
Our meals this week are: spicy Asian Noodles, Green Chili Stew, Chef Salads, smash burgers, and enchiladas.
Alicia, thank you for sharing! I could talk meal planning all day! hahaha! Chef salads are getting in our line up! That’s a great idea and one I never use!
So many great tips! I love my simplified planner too!
http://www.Elspethsdaybyday.com
Great ideas! I use the Home Chef app and receive two oven-ready meals about once a month / when I don’t want to cook for our family of four. They’re at most Kroger locations, too.
Thanks for sharing, Melissa! GREAT idea!
I used to use Cozi and then they took away their feature where you could see your calendar and meals at the same time to meal plan, so now I use FamilyWall and it is sooo much prettier!
Oh girl! I need to check that out because I too am bummed they got rid of that feature!!
We are just two peas in an organized pod 🙂 .
I love to meal plan as well. That is the best part of the week. 🙂 In the winter, I always put a soup/stew/chili in the rotation and in the summer, I add a salad. This week we were having chicken spaghetti, Asian noodles, beef stew, enchiladas, and air fryer shrimp. Never thought about hiring a teenager to do the driving – I work in insurance and part of me thinks that the teens (their parents) insurance would not allow then to transport kids for hire. You might want to check into that.
Hey Molly! It must be a beef stew kind of week. That just speaks, “January”, doesn’t it? haha! And thank you so much for pointing that out. We’ve checked into it and are all taken care of, but I appreciate you mentioning it.
I meal plan just like you do with specific meals in mind. I love hearing what other busy mom’s make too!
This week, I made/will make: pot roast (melskitchencafe.com), homemade ravioli, breakfast burritos, kung pao chicken (onceuponachef.com) and chicken meatballs (skinnytaste.com. She uses ground turkey, we prefer ground chicken.)
Back up…HOMEMADE ravioli?? I’m so impressed! I know a family that makes homemade pasta on Christmas Eve and hearing that talk about it always makes me wanna try!
I meal plan too, but a little different. It’s just my husband and I and our picky 5 year old. I try to plan 1-2 meals a week that can be repurposed into something a little different or that some of the leftovers can be frozen to pull out another week. This week I made fajitas (will be taco salad another night) and black eyed pea fritters with onion jam (the 2nd time, since they are not as crispy reheated they will be crumbled over rice with mustrooms, onions and goat cheese and served as a rice bowl). The other night is usually something from the freezer or a snacky dinner – hummus, cheese and crackers, etc.
We’d starve if we didn’t meal plan. I didn’t meal plan over winter break and lets just say a lot of nonsense was eaten for “dinner.”
This week: chicken pot pie, corn chowder w side salad, tacos, chicken gyros, burgers. pretty basic week but hey- its real food.
The Lazy Genius has the BEST way to meal plan – I’m not sure if you can Google it or it was a podcast itself (I’ve heard her talk about it twice now). Basically, it’s looking at your calendar by the month and filling “big” spots first (I think) and then moving into the details…I wish I had been better about doing this when my kids were all home!!
Found a post on The Lazy Genius method. I was wrong – it’s just by the week (is Shay by the month?). Anyway, here is a link:
https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/create-a-meal-plan-that-will-save-your-life-and-make-you-pretty
She has also talked about it on her podcast so that is out there too 🙂