If you haven't sent your kids back to school, you are most likely bound to do so any day now. Here are our house, with the kids' ages being so spread out, we have been sending kids back to school sporadically for a while now. The very last one to go started earlier this week and so now I can officially say, "all the kids are back in school".
Back to School and September in general are great times to get things back in order in your household. January is a great time to make resolutions, spring is the time we all start new beginnings, the change of summer leads to lots of household changes and back to school is an excellent time to gets things back to the way you like them.
I love routine and I love having the schedule that comes with September. Even with my best intentions things seem to fall apart and get all crazy during the summer. Mealtimes end up being hit and miss at best as teenagers sleep in and stay up late. Little ones seem to crave snacks all day, and growing kids seem to spend hours and hours staring at the open fridge or pantry waiting for inspiration to strike.
Now is a great time to get back to the routines and practices that save our sanity. And you know Meal Planning is one of my biggest life savers. If you haven't started yet, I am inviting you to dive right in and give it a try. If you have been doing it here and there, now is the time to embrace it wholly, and if you have fallen off the wagon like me, it is time to get back in the saddle and get doing what we know Works!
Where to start? Just Dare to Do IT! Get a pencil and piece of paper, write down the days of the week and then write down what you want to make. This isn't something that you can put on your list of - when I get around to it. Or say, "I'll start doing that when I am more organized". Now is the time, just start.
Remember to Keep It Simple! Now is not the time to index all your recipes or alphabetize all your cookbooks. Resist those urges, all you need to do right now is one little week, seven little dinners.
