A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

As summer winds down parents are getting their littles ones ready for the new school year. The days will get shorter and your task list is getting longer. The best thing that you can do is manage the time that you have and organize as much as you can. Setting your week up for success will help your family stay on track. Here are some things that you can do to make life a bit easier:

1.    Plan your meals

While it seems like a daunting task to map out your menu for the week…knowing that tacos are always served on Thursdays will not only help your children know what to expect (children love consistency), but it will help you prep ahead of time. You can cook in large quantities, portion everything out for the week, and thaw as needed. Ground turkey, ground beef, and roasted chicken go a long way and you can buy most of your toppings already prepped (shredded cheese in a bag, salsa in a jar, and bagged salad). You may prepare fresh toppings as well if you would prefer.

Each night can have a theme:

Meatball Mondays

You can use Swedish meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed meatballs, etc.

Tuna Tuesdays

You can prep tasty tuna salad ahead of time and add some healthy options on the side (baby carrots, fresh bell peppers, fresh broccoli, etc.)

Wild Wednesdays

Anything goes! Have easy-to-prepare items available (veggies with ranch and cold cuts, peanut butter and jelly, etc.) Let your children decide what they would like that night and let them help you with preparing their meal. Kids love to help, and they may be more inclined to eat the culinary masterpiece that they created. They may eat leftovers from the previous days or choose from the available options for that night.

Taco Thursdays

You can use chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, etc.

Fry-day

It has been a long week and who doesn’t love French fries? You can oven bake French fries (frozen or fresh-cut) with olive oil and top them with things like leftovers from Taco Thursdays, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, spinach dip, gravy, bacon, etc.

Spaghetti Saturdays

Spaghetti doesn’t have to be boring, you can use spaghetti squash or zucchini instead or traditional pasta. You may also add mixed veggies, baby spinach, shrimp, baby clams, mozzarella or parmesan cheese, etc.

Slow Cooker Sundays

You must get a lot done for the week. Why not make it easy on yourself by using your slow cooker? You can make soup, chili, or even lasagna!

Do you need inspiration? Check out these awesome kid-friendly recipes below (including some amazing slow cooker recipes). Don’t forget to post your Menu in the kitchen.

https://www.popsugar.com/moms/Best-Kid-Friendly-Recipes-25606166

https://www.christinacooks.com/recipes/carrot-almond-cake

2. Organize your week

Print a calendar or get dry-erase calendar and post it in either the kitchen or living room. You can plan things for each family member like: 

• Activities (dance class, football practice, doctor visits, etc.)
• Chores (trash removal, dish washing, etc.)
• Homework/projects, etc. 

   

    3. Wardrobe please!

Preparing your wardrobe ahead of time will save you loads of time in the morning. On Sunday, you can wash, dry, iron, coordinate, and hang your clothes (outfits for each day including tops, bottoms, and undergarments) for the week (be mindful of the weather).

While these things take a bit of prep work, the amount of time that you will save will be worth it. You can use this time to spend more time with family, work on a personal project, or just relax and do nothing for a change; after all…you deserve it!