my lifesaver

I've wanted to blog about this for awhile now, and am finally getting around to it, after several of my friends have blogged about getting organized.

I have this little handy notebook in my house that has made my life SO much easier.

Well, part of my life, anyway.

It's my Meal Planning Notebook.
(actually, this is the one that I made for my friend Jess, but it's almost just like mine, just different recipes and hers is cuter)


No more "what's for dinner tonight?"
No more "well, can't make that because we don't have _____"
No more trips to the grocery story just to cook dinner.
No more of those "stuck in a rut-can't think of anything different to cook" moments.
No more searching through cookbooks trying to figure out how I can change things up
No more wondering "since when do I only know how to make 5 meals (because that's all we ever eat)"
No more wondering "where in the world is that recipe?" followed by a search through a book with notecards, torn papers, napkins, full sheet, half sheets, torn and stained sheets, burstin out of the seams and falling out everywhere each time it's opened.

Dinner at our house is one thing I do not stress about anymore, and one less decision I have to make and plan each day.

I by no means am saying that I have the best system ever....I know there are tons of less detailed and more detailed systems that work. I like mine, because it works for me.

I have it divided into sections: quick menu, calendars, grocery lists, main dishes, sides/apps, deserts. You could have a section for coupons if you wanted too. And I'm thinking about extending this notebook and doing a section for household chores - a list of daily, weekly, monthly chores and possibly a schedule.

Whether I am planning meals for 1 week, 2 weeks or the whole month...here's where I start...

I call this my QUICK MENU.

Just like going to a restaurant and seeing a list of all the things you can order.
This is a list of all of our typical meals, our favorite meals, the no brainer meals that I make without a recipe, and even some newer ones that I list, just so I don't forget about them and remember to try them. All of the possible meals that I would ever want to make are on this list. THIS is why I don't get stuck in a rut of making the same things all the time and not able to think of other things.

Notice that the ingredients are listed after each meal...this helps me make my grocery list!

I grab my calendar, scan my quick menu, pick meals and start writing them on my calendar, for however far out I'm planning. It will be fun with the kids can start picking what meals they would like from this list too.

I found this template online for Jess's notebook and I think I may try it....it's just for one week. But I think it will help me plan breakfasts and lunches a little better too. I don't think I will plan specifics for breakfast and lunch, but I can write in "PB&J, mac and cheese, nuggets, fruit, cottage cheese, green beans" across the whole week, so I'd at least know what our options are. Same for breakfast. If I don't like it, I'll just go back to my month calendar.


I also have a quick menu for sides and deserts. I don't do well with changing up our sides very much. So I love to scan a list and see things that I would maybe not think of otherwise.

I don't make deserts too often. But I LOVE having a list of all my favorites for those times I do make one, or need to take one somewhere. Again, before my notebook, I'd either choose to make the fabulous go-to pan of brownies, or I'd search recipes forever trying to come up with something new and exciting. Now I just scan my list of deserts and pick one!

Once my meals are planned.....time for the grocery list.

I LOVE that my quick menu lists all of my ingredients for me. No searching for recipes, no trying to remember what all I need for a particular meal. The quick menu allows me to see exactly what I need.

I found this grocery list online.

The purpose is to take this to the store with you. How wonderful, because it's divided into sections of the grocery store...so no more going back and forth from isle to isle! So I may start check marking each item that I need based off my quick menu (less writing). Or I may just end up using it as a visual for each grocery trip...I'll refer to this to make sure I'm not forgetting anything, but I may still write my lists out the way I'm used to. Haven't decided this yet.

I have another form I use to make my lists that just reminds me to think about lunches, breakfasts, snacks, household stuff, drinks, etc.

WHALAH!!! You are off to the store with your list that matches your meal calendar.
This has helped the grocery budget a TON!

In the back of my notebook are all of my recipes!!! Of course, I don't need a recipe for tacos or spaghetti (but these are still listed on my quick menu. For some reason, if they aren't listed, I sometimes won't think of them). But my big, messy stack of recipes are now nicely typed out and organized in ABC order in the back of my notebook.



I love these cute, colorful tab dividers from Walmart. I love that a few of them have pockets. You could go with the non-cute ones and get pockets in all of your dividers. This is nice to stash away new recipes. I found that after about 6 months, it was time to update my notebook with new meals that I found in my Kraft Food and Family magazine, or ones I've gotten from friends. I'll add them to the quick menu and to the recipes in the back.

OR sometimes I will just add a new meal to my quick menu, because I can do that faster, and then make reference to what magazine or cookbook I can find the recipe in, if I don't have time or don't want to keep up with typing out recipes.

Now, how can you NOT want to plan meals when you get to look at a notebook this cute!??!?

It's just so nice to grab my notebook, sit in front of the TV or relax on the couch and be able to have everything at my finger tips. The only thing I have to get up for is to check to see if we already have things in the fridge or cupboard and don't need to buy it. And sometimes I've even gotten Dave to stand at the cupboard and I call out things for him to check on, while I'm making the list.

So there it is. My Meal Planning Notebook.

I used to struggle in this area as a wife and mom. I never felt like I was doing a good enough job for my family. There are so many other things we have to think about during the day, that sometimes dinner is the LAST thing on our minds. Until it's dinner time....then I was scrambling, stressing and feeling like a failure as I reach for the frozen pizza or we head out-to-eat. Oh, and I don't think I mentioned that this system has helped us cut back on eating out as much too....since many times we would eat out just because I didn't know what to do for dinner!

I love it because it works and it's something that stuck and I can't live without now!

If you need help or have questions making one for yourself, I'd be happy to help!