by rebecca stewart

With "back-to-school" looming in front of us - only two weeks until the first day of kindergarten for us (sniffle) - and various sports practices already underway, not to mention the daily rigmarole that comes with life, it became increasingly obvious that we needed a new plan. As the list kept growing I realized I needed to bring something back into our lives that we hadn’t done since the early years of our marriage…Ten years ago. Menu planning. In our house it’s not uncommon to hear a daily refrain of:

“What should we have for dinner tonight?”

“I don’t know, what do you think?”

And so it goes…Sound familiar?

The plan – and I invite you to hop on board the meal-planning train with me – is to sit down with our respective families and list the meals to be included on the family dinner menu. Once the meals have been decided upon, it’s time for the blank calendar. From there it’s a matter of filling in those beloved meal plans into the days and weeks to come.

• Print your free (colorful) calendar here

Tip: Don’t be afraid to incorporate a “Fend for Yourself” night into your weekly meal planning. This gives you a break from the stove and puts the reins into the rest of your family’s hands.

An added bonus of having your meal plan set in advance is that it makes filling out your grocery shopping list that much easier. No more scrambling around for ingredients because you decided 15 minutes ago what you’re having for dinner. And the icing on the cake is that some of the meals can be prepared in advance – that’s music to any busy mom’s ears.

Share some of your family’s favorite meals in the comments below (recipes are great too!).