About 8 years ago, I lost 40 pounds - I guess it was "baby" weight but I was well passed that stage! I worked really hard, walked daily, used Weight Watchers to help me keep track of every little thing I ate, and felt amazing. About 4 or 5 years ago, I began gaining back that weight. I hadn't changed my eating habits much and I was still working out. I was puzzled as to why I began gaining back my weight and started realizing my addiction to sugar and breads and thought that I needed to figure out a way to get that under control. Meanwhile, in the last 5 or 6 years, I have discovered all things natural, clean, organic, and wholesome! Our family now does as much clean living as possible.
This week, we're going to explore the next step to getting your house organized and clutter - and becoming more of a home and your life much calmer. Meal Planning. Meal Planning is truly vital for us Moms, it's the second step to helping you get your home organized and clutter free! Like step one, getting into the habit of doing this on a regular basis will help you the most. You need to decide how often you want to meal plan and how often you need to grocery shop. I have a weekly plan, since we have two teenagers and need food often! Let me help you with this simple weekly step:
Last week I told you that I am going to get you ready for the new year and coach you to get organized and clutter free. I've got everything a mom could want to know to get your house and life organized. This week we're going to start working on just life in general. You have to decide what kind of calendar person/family you are going to be. For me, I'm all digital {paperless} but I have a large family calendar, too. For you, it might be that you've tried several different ways and you've been unsuccessful, but until you make it a habit EVERY SINGLE NIGHT to sit down and work through what your day will need to basically look like the following day, or weekly sit down and plan out meals and family business, you aren't going to be able to even attempt to keep your house clutter free or organized.
Do you like leftovers? If not then you probably haven't made the most of them! I used to think that the best way to handle leftovers is to pack them up and send them to work with my hubby, but now I've actually started cooking extra on purpose so that I can use the leftovers for another meal all together.
If you like meal planning and are looking for healthy dinners, my favorite Paleo dinners will be great for you whether you like to eat Paleo or not. What is Paleo, you ask? Well, it's a way of eating and I basically tell people that there are basic rules about eating like the ancestors did WAY back when, but that's not why I eat like that. You see, I was ADDICTED to sugar and breads and wanted to get unaddicted. I have been dairy-free for 20+ years because I'm lactose intolerant, so I looked for a way of eating that was unprocessed, no-calorie counting, and going to get me off sugar and breads. So, Paleo was the answer for me. Paleo basically is: 1. No grains 2. No dairy 3. No legumes 4. No sugar
It's sounds terribly restrictive but it's not that bad and you just have to change your way of setting up your pantry and learn to substitute certain ingredients and you can make most any meal "Paleo". I haven't had sugar or bread in nearly TEN months and that's saying a lot.
Do you like to meal plan? Have you ever meal planned or have you thought about doing it and never really have done it? I grew up with a mom who just did it every week and I always thought that was what everyone did. But, I have learned that it isn't something everyone knows how to do or actually takes the time to do. And, honestly, it's pretty easy when you get into the habit of doing it. Today I'm not going to teach you how to meal plan because I've shared how to do that many times before - just check out here and here. Today I want to share some easy meals that I have personally made and use to make meal planning easier.
Yes, I {heart} Pinterest. I always have. I suppose I always will. I use Pinterest for so much. I'm one of those "copy-catters" with a twist. I get tons of inspiration from Pinterest for decorating, organizing, parenting, food, and everything else! So, it should come to you as no surprise that I use Pinterest for my meal planning. Yep! I've been using it for awhile now and I've had some pretty good outcomes as a result. I'm going to share with you how to make it work well for you and find really good recipes that are going to be a hit with your family AND plan your meals - something we organized people like to do!
What's for dinner? It's a funny thing that we ask ourselves (or get asked) pretty much everyday. I had the privilege of growing up with a Mom who (to this day) would sit down weekly and plan a menu for dinner for the next week.
