On Organization...

I have some yummy meals for you this week, including one gluten-free, so keep an eye out!  Until then, I thought I would share my (very simple) organization method for weekly meal planning and household sanity. 


Before we came to Hawaii I was working full-time, and my husband works long days and doesn't always have weekends off.  After a while, I realized that I was making myself even more stressed out by not planning our dinners ahead of time and having to frantically run to the grocery store on my lunch hour to get ingredients for dinner that night.


I follow a home decorating blog, and came across a cute idea... a chalkboard hanging in the kitchen with the weekly meals written up on it.  She had a vintage-style frame around it so that it went with her decor.  I am a "list person" and like being able to see my to-do's written out in front of me, so I was inspired to do the same thing in my kitchen.  Also, my husband would know what was for dinner any given night, and it would help me to ensure that I was making a variety of foods, including different kinds of protein and veggies, rather than throwing it together spur-of-the-moment.


I set out looking for a chalkboard like the one I saw, only to find that they were surprisingly expensive, (as in $60+ expensive!)  So I opted for the DIY route, trekked to the local craft store and picked up a large picture frame I liked and some chalkboard spray paint.  I sprayed the glass with the chalkboard finish, and within minutes and for less than $10, I had a chalkboard that was large enough for my purposes and that looked decorative in my kitchen.


I have used it ever since, and update it every weekend for the next week's meals after I have done my meal planning and grocery store run.  It's nothing fancy, but it works.

However you choose to do it, getting organized and planning ahead will save you time and money, two things we could all use more of!