Hello beautiful friends and welcome to Week 11 of the 52 Weeks to a Simplified and Organized Home Challenge.

This week we’re working to create menu planning and grocery shopping strategies.

Given they’re two of the most important things we do to stay organized and nourish our families well, consistency is key!

For example, planning out your meals on the same day each week, keeping a running shopping list on the side of your refrigerator or in the Notes app on your phone so you’re less likely to forget something and having a designated grocery shopping or delivery day all helps save time.

Small consistent changes lead to big impacts so think about the simple things you can do each week to help set you up for success.

It does make a difference.

Now on to this week’s Tip Sheet!

This Week’s Tip Sheet…

Quote of the Week:

“Success is the residue of planning.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

This Week’s Big To-Do’s:

• Create a Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping Strategy
• Prioritize Sleep While Adjusting to the Time Change
• Change Batteries in Smoke Alarms and Detectors and Change Filters
• Prepare for St. Patricks Day
• Plant Flowers or Garden Containers

This Week’s Tidy Tips:

*Plan By The Month, Prepare By The Week 

When it comes to planning meals, I like to plan by the month and prepare by the week.

That way, we can keep things intentional yet flexible.

It also helps to post the menu on a magnetic calendar on the side of the refrigerator so everyone knows what to expect and we can make changes during the month as needed.

Another thing that helps whenever I feel like we’re in a food rut or we’re just too tired to cook is planning meals around sporting events and food holidays via National Today and utilizing the dinner decision jar.

In addition, one of my sisters lets her littles pick a meal during the week so she doesn’t have to come up with all the ideas.

It’s a win-win because she gets to spend one on one time in the kitchen on their “chef day,” and they also learn how to cook.

Another sibling previously shared a meal train with some of her girlfriends, so she only had to cook a few nights a week.

Further, having a themed or go-to system for breakfast meals also helps us stay on track during busy mornings.

For example, chia seed pudding on Mondays, monkey or avocado toast on Toast Tuesdays, a full breakfast on Wellness Wednesday, oatmeal on Thursdays and yogurt parfaits on Fridays.

The toppings are different each day, but the main ingredients and meal prep items stay the same which keeps things super simple.

*Prepping the Refrigerator and Pantry

Clean out the pantry and the refrigerator the night before your trash pickup is scheduled.

That way, you can see what you have and what you need to add to your grocery list.

It also makes putting your groceries away a lot easier because you’ve created extra space which means you’re less likely to risk mixing expired and fresh foods together.

*Prepping Meals

While our ultimate goal is to have the fridge fully stocked and meals prepped on Sundays and Wednesdays, our schedule is not always the same from week to week.

So, it really helps to have a strategy.

One thing that makes a big difference is to double batch meals whenever possible.

Even if I’m not making a full meal, I try to at least batch extra protein because we use it in everything from salads, to stews, to lasagnas, to tacos.

Slow cookers and InstaPots can be huge time savers for batching extra protein like chicken, beef and turkey.

Something else that works well for us, particularly on the days we work from home, is prepping 1-2 meals ahead.

For example, at lunch, I start prepping for dinner.

And after dinner, I prep the following day’s breakfast, lunch, and drip coffee.

Not only is it nice to have a grab and go system, but the cleanup is also relatively easy, and it keeps me making healthy choices throughout the week.

Finally, if you’re really short on time, consider prepping the one meal that would be most helpful.

That way, you get what you need but you take the pressure off having to make multiple meals for each day.

You can also hire a private chef or utilize meal delivery services.

We’ve done that during busy seasons too!

Wellness Tip:

Last summer I fell in love with long walks.

But I had no idea going on short walks after meals could be good for you until I read this post via Everyday Health on the 5 reasons “Why Walking After Eating is So Good For You.”  

Now, I make sure to put on my sneakers before I eat dinner.

That way, I’ll have no excuse not to end the day enjoying the gifts of nature once I’ve finished meal prepping lunches and cleaning up the kitchen.

As always, I hope these tips have helped!

Cheering you on as you work to add healthy habits to your daily routine,

CoCo

PS: You can find last week’s Tip Sheet here if you missed it

Other Meal Planning and Organizing Posts to Explore…

How to Meal Plan by the Month

Easy Dinner Decision Jar

Family Command Center