AKA my Monday morning routine
I thought about calling this my Sunday routine but that’s just not true. Sundays I make breakfast for the family, we go to or watch church, and usually get things done around the house unless soccer is in season. So Monday morning is my fresh start. I get the kids fed and off to (virtual) school and I sit down with my agenda and meal planner. Since we all have iPhones now I use google calendar to digitally keep up with our ever-changing schedule. As soon as we are notified of something personally and/or as a family it goes in the family calendar. I input my doctors/dentists/“self upkeep” and any other appointments that will limit my availability in the family calendar. All the ballet and soccer schedules are uploaded in there as well as my husband’s meetings etc.
TIP: Utilize a family digital Google Calendar
This has come in handy so many times I don’t know how I would function without it to be honest. The kids know to check the calendar before they ask about going to friends’ houses or friends coming over. This also helps us so we aren’t double-booked (as much) and so things aren’t forgotten about. While away from my home calendar this digital version really saves the day. I loathe last-minute planning so for the most part we are usually prepared.
On Monday morning I transfer the google calendar to my daily “Day Designer” planner that I have set up in the kitchen. This is another visual that we can walk past and keep track of the schedule for the day. I prefer the daily version so I can list all the places we need to be at the specific times as well as the things that need to be completed that day as well; reminders and to-dos. I think it is pretty obvious now that I am a Type A planner and love a good checklist but honestly it makes our busy schedule go so much smoother.
TIP: Have a paper calendar in a common area for “walk-by” access
The other calendar I have is our meal plan. On our days where my son has back to back lifting, conditioning, soccer practice and then adding my daughter’s ballet schedule it can get quite hectic. I don’t have to time or brain space usually to think of something to quickly throw together at the end of a long day. Having the meals already planned out therefore whatever I need is already on hand makes things so much easier. On days we don’t have “heavier” afternoons I am able to cook something more fun and time-consuming. On days that are back to back and we don’t get home until later I have a quick 20-30 minute meal planned. After I make my plan I order my grocery delivery (thanks Covid for introducing this time-saving tip) transferring any needed groceries to the grocery order to make sure everything is on hand.
TIP: meal plan for the week and use grocery delivery
I have kids so sometimes there are instances where they (or my husband) will end up eating the ingredients before I can use them in the dish. I love to stick to a plan so this is frustrating. I will usually fall back on a staple 30-minute meal when this happens. There is the odd time where I throw my hands up and order take out but honestly, sometimes that makes me feel defeated so I try to keep a stocked freezer and pantry so that doesn’t happen too often. But when needed two of our favorite quick meals are fried rice, and poor man’s supper; ground sausage with cabbage.
Having the kids at home and my husband’s availability to come home for lunch means that I am cooking three meals a day every day for 4 people. This can get very daunting without a plan in place. So on my meal plans, I plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are times that my husband isn’t able to make it home for one reason or another so the extras are refrigerated and saved for later. Typically I plan for leftover lunches twice per week to actually plan to get those eaten rather than pushed to the back of the fridge and wasted.
TIP: plan to eat leftovers. This saves time and money.
Not only does meal planning help save time and money ie: no hungry grocery visits with everything from aisle 3. It also helps us eat healthily. I am a big believer in food is medicine and we need to eat our best for our bodies to perform their best. Honestly, I learned this at a young age. When I was in middle school I had my last heart procedure which resulted in my now having low blood pressure. My Doctors tried me on 3 different medications and none helped raise my blood pressure enough that was worth the terrible side effects I would feel. So they took me off of the medications. They told me to make sure I stayed hydrated and to increase my sodium and potassium intake. Because of this and my other medical issues I lived through/with I have had to be very aware of how my body reacts. So if I can give you advice based on experience it would be to stay hydrated and see how your body responds. Eat more fruits & veg and see how much lighter you feel and how much more natural energy you have. I am not a vegetarian I tried that and my body had a very negative reaction so I believe in the power of protein from meats, at least for me. Although most of the time we eat pretty healthy I do believe in balance so on my meal plans you will find some not so healthy meals sometimes as well. Again, balance.
I am not a dietician nor do I claim to be. I am just a 36-year old that has had to pay attention to these little nuances for my entire adult life.
TIP: Get and stay hydrated your body will thank you
I would love to hear ya’lls top tips for keeping up with a busy family or your favorite go to quick meals!
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