Meal Planning

**I'm so excited to announce that I've started a youtube channel discussing everything home making. My channel name is Surviving As Mom.  Check it out!! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmrj6ilyMI5G2hnraXRWpEQ

I started meal planning earlier in the year and it has been a huge life saver!  Instead of struggling each day to try to figure out what to cook for dinner, I decided to give it a try.

I started by making a list of my most popular dinners that I make, separated by categories (chicken, beef, pork, other).  I also made a separate list of side dishes.
-Items with a * are slow cooker meals.-

I then printed out monthly calendars for the year using calendar-365.com

The hardest and most tedious part is filling in each day.  I try to alternate chicken and beef while sprinkling in some pork and "other" foods.  You can repeat the same schedule for each month or make a new one each month.  I put the finished calendar in a plastic sleeve and hang it inside the door of a kitchen cabinet so it's hidden.  ...just a personal preference.

I keep the meal lists in a binder in plastic sleeves to keep them clean along with each additional blank month.

Some people like to keep weekly meal plans as well which include breakfast and lunch.  I personally find it to be too much work, so I stopped using those.  I find that the monthly plan works just fine for me.

Meal planning is also good for grocery planning.  When I make my grocery list, I look at my meal plan for the next 2 weeks and add anything that will be needed for those meals.  It can also be helpful if you have a strict grocery budget.  It cuts down on random groceries.

*Keep in mind, the meal plan is not written in stone.  At least once a week, I stray from the plan either because I'm just not in the mood for what's on the schedule, I don't have the supplies for the meal, or time does not permit.  That's ok!  That's life.  Just go with it :-)

Cleaning Schedule

**I'm so excited to announce that I've started a youtube channel discussing everything home making. My channel name is Surviving As Mom.  Check it out!! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmrj6ilyMI5G2hnraXRWpEQ

I love a clean house!  However, like most people in the world, I hate the actual process of cleaning.  I always seemed to be drowning in my to-do list when it comes to cleaning and organizing, so I decided to do some research.  I found that many moms who seem to have their "stuff" together operate on a schedule.  I decided to try it and found that it worked very well.  Not only did it keep me on track, but it made the job easier since it broke everything down each day.  This allows me to spend 15-20 minutes a day maintaining my home in an acceptable condition, rather than spending an entire day cleaning the whole house only to find it a disaster again a few days later.  

I compared many different types of cleaning schedules and took bits and pieces from each that would work for me.  I then sat down and wrote my own schedule.  This is what I came up with.  It is posted on my refrigerator so I can see it every time I go into the kitchen.  

I'll admit, there have been plenty of times when I'd fall of following the schedule, even for weeks at a time.  That's ok.  This schedule has at least taught me that I can spend a short time each day getting my home in an acceptable condition.  I've also learned that a little each day is much easier (and nicer looking) than all at once.  

Feel free to copy my schedule and taylor it to your needs.

Happy Cleaning!!

*I've also attached the link to this document: Cleaning Schedule