Kaley’s back today with an update on the custom meal planning system she put together with products sent to her by our latest sponsor, Post-it® Brand. Yay for organization!
I thought this system was pretty impressive when she first set it up but now that I see it in action, I’m a little blown away. This fridge actually makes me excited about meal planning (one of the things I dread most in this world).
My favorite part has to be the spots for snack ideas and an inventory of what’s in the freezer... or maybe it’s the pen holder right on the fridge. It’s all truly wonderful and I can’t wait for you guys to see the details!
I’m so excited to check back in with you all and let you know how my new meal planning center is working out for us. When I left you, I had set everything up, but hadn’t actually starting filling things in, or using it at all.
Now that I have had a chance to use it, I can’t believe I didn’t set something like this up sooner.
In a nutshell, I love it.
Everything is in it’s place, it is easy to use and super organized. And the best part is, anyone can look at the fridge and see what is going on and what I have planned. Perfect for the babysitter or those days when grandma is over helping with the kids!
So let’s take a look at a few of my favorite parts of the meal planning center, and how they are being used.
My number one priority was to have a place to plan out dinners one week in advance. I am using the Post-it®Planner & Perforated List Pad, and whoever invented this little pad is a genius.
As I am planning the meals, it forces me to make a shopping list. And probably my favorite part of this little pad is that there are different sections on the shopping list, because I am not a one-stop kind of shopper. I buy certain things at certain stores, and when I don’t break up my shopping list into different sections, I am bound to overlook something.
My other favorite part of this whole meal planning center is that I have a place to jot down a quick note or reminder (on this Post-it® Reminder Tile), and I have a place to keep a pen right next to the note pad.
I am going to save hours and hours each week not having to search everywhere for a pen to jot down a phone number or to-do. I might need to hang a Command™ Medium Clear Caddy in every room just so I always know where I can find a pen!
Sometimes I get really motivated and decide to double or triple a recipe I am making, and put the extras in the freezer so I can save myself a night of cooking. The only problem is that 99% of the time I forget that I have put a meal in the freezer and it falls into a black hole never to be thought about again.
I wanted to have a place to write down meals that I have in the freezer so I can incorporate them into the meal plan. As we eat the meals, we can simply check them off the list. You could also use the display cards for displaying family photos and mementos and write the meals on Post-it® List Notes, which have color-coded sections for different food categories.
I also put up there some snack ideas, mainly for when someone else is watching the kids. These are all things that we usually have stocked in the house that would be an acceptable snack. This is also a great reminder for me when I am hungry but don’t have the mental energy to think of something healthy to fix myself. (Pregnant or nursing moms – this idea is for you!) The Post-it® Reminder Tile would have been another great tool for the snack list too!
I hate having clutter on the countertops. So I struggle with finding a place to keep the recipes that I find and want to try, and the take-out menus for the nights when I am just too tired to try. Now they are easily accessible in a Post-it® View and Go Pocket, and I don’t have to worry about anything cluttering up my nice empty counters.
And last but certainly not least – a place for artwork. The Scotch® Restickable Display Strip on the left is the perfect height for my 4 year old to stick up her latest and greatest masterpieces. And she can change them out every time she brings home a new project from school.
We are using the Scotch® Display Frame on the right to showcase a very special drawing she made, which can also be changed out anytime she wants. I love the personality and color that her artwork brings to the front of the fridge, and wouldn’t want any system that didn’t have a special space for it. And of course we left the bottom half open for the letter magnets. Because she insisted.
So there it is. Our new meal planning center. My 5 o’clock stress level has drastically improved. And for those days when it is still sky high – at least I know where to find the take out menus!
Thanks so much to Post-it® Brand for supporting our organizational and meal-planning aspirations! You can check out these products at their website, as well as through their facebook page, on twitter, pinterest, and instagram at @postitproducts!