Groceries

Mealtime is one of my favorites of the whole day. What an opportunity to pour yourself into your family. Many moms that I talk to are not enjoying this time at all. It is very stressful for them. I think the biggest reason is a lack of planning. Here are a few practical tips.

Get out your calender so that as you are planning for your meals you will remember what your schedule looks like. For instance you might want to plan a crock pot meal or a picnic if you know that you will be at the ball field on Tuesday evening. Write down all the meals you will be having.

Plan 2 weeks at a time...I do not know why this works but it does! You can creatively do this without going back to the store. Eat the fresh fruits and veggies that go bad quickest first then use the frozen and canned things last. Another ideas is to make fruit smoothies the second week instead of fresh fruit.

Make a list using your meals as a guide. Think through all the ingredients you will need for each meal. Think about the items you will need for snacks, breakfast and lunch and make a detailed list.

When 4 o'clock rolls around you will not find yourself standing in front of the fridge trying to figure our what is for dinner as your little ones are crying and fussing because they are hungry. You will know and you will have already laid the meat out and maybe even started some of the preparations.

Remember your meals do not have to be fancy. There will be times for complicated recipes and time consuming baking. Now is the time for a simple well balanced meal and precious time with your family!

Love those babies!! Michele