Pocket Meal Planning

Had a craft night with Paige last night.

She made some stationery and I made this meal planning pocket for the side of my cupboard.

A few sheets of fun, coordinating paper from the scrapbook store, a paper cutter, laminator and sewing machine....viola!

Since we have a big family, meal planning can take a BIG chunk of time each week. Sometimes, just trying to figure out what to eat for dinner takes too much brain power - especially after homeschooling all day. Meal planning and grocery shopping each week is one of the least favorite parts of my job.

I saw this idea on a homemaking blog and decided to try it on my own. I know I can meal plan on the computer, but there's just something about seeing it on the wall that helps me. I've made plans like this before, but it's gotten lost in notebooks or in files on the computer, and I end up not utilizing them.

I wrote out 8 weeks worth of meals (made 4X6 recipe cards for each meal) and then grouped them into 8 separate weeks with grocery lists of ingredients needed for that week. Each pocket holds the week's menu, recipes for the dinners and grocery lists for the week.

I think this will make life a little easier.