SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!

I am planning a trip to the beach later in the spring. In preparation for that trip, I find myself daydreaming about what I'm going to wear, the activities my husband and I will do, and I think about the fun times we're planning to have with our friends.

I've found that plans do something weird to our minds and bodies: plans actually propel us forward, toward action. When we make plans, our minds and bodies move in the direction of what we have planned. Plans give us something to look forward to and they make us anticipate the future instead of dreading it. Magic, huh??

Plans also minimize chaos. I can remember when my children were very young and my husband would say, "You need a schedule for your day." I must admit, I didn't take this critique well because I felt like he was criticizing how I managed my time...maybe he was! :-/ But I also felt I had no reason to schedule my day because I did the same thing all day, everyday- wake up, feed kids, bathe kids, dress kids, change kids, cook dinner, put kids to bed. Who needs a schedule for THAT?!?

Well, I've have learned to appreciate a schedule as I've gotten older. I've taken these concepts of planning and applied it to my meal planning. 

Do you want to have something to look forward to during the week? Do you want to move yourself toward action? Do you want to minimize chaos? If you do, this weekly menu plan is for you!

First, begin by using a stock menu planner from your word processing software. I performed a search in Microsoft Word on "Menu" and I found one I liked. Next, write down some normal menus that you and your family typicallly eat each week. If you choose to try a new recipe, go for it! But for your first stab at planning, just cook what you would normally cook. We want to keep this simple and we don't want to add any undue pressure. Also, if you need some menu ideas, ask your husband and kids what they would like to eat for dinner. I've found that when I include them, even THEY look forward to eating at home! Additionally, take note of what your family eats when you all go out to eat and attempt to make a similar dish at home.

Now, make sure you have breakfast, lunch and dinner planned for the next week. If you plan on eating out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the week, be sure to put that on your menu planner as well.

Finally, it's time to make your shopping list. Check your refrigerator, freezer, pantry and cabinets FIRST, as we don't want to buy any unnecessary ingredients. Now, print your menu plan and record your grocery list on this. While you are shopping, you can continually refer to your shopping list. This will minimize any impluse buys, thus saving you time and money.

My menu for this week is shown above. I know...photo is a bit unclear. I'll try to upload a clearer copy later today.

I even recorded that my family has a track meet and a basketball tournament this Saturday so we will probably eat out for lunch on Saturday. So, we will be eating out for lunch that day.

It should take you no longer than 30 minutes to plan your meals for the week and prepare your shopping list.

I hope you give planning your weekly menu a valiant effort today!

Happy planning!

TJ Robinson

Fit Mom? Fit Family!