Pop Post: Meal Planner

I've tried tons of ways to stay organized with meal planning but it always seems to slip through the cracks. I decided to research some different ideas and came up with my own meal planner board. It took me about an hour to make. Enjoy !

First I took an old cork board that I was saving for something (but did not know what). I tend not to throw things like this away. I spray painted the whole thing black for a more vintage look.

Next I typed up the week and how I intend on cooking each night. "Crockpot" night is because its Monday and I don't want to cook. "Sit Down" Tuesday and Thursday is a night I want to actually make a nice meal and eat at a table, what a notion. Ryan, my husband, cooks on Wednesday. "Fun Friday" can be whatever but will probably be pizza. "Date Night", my husband and I eat out. "Home Style Sunday" is for a family style dinner with lots of casseroles and bowls and sides and rolls and anything thats totally bad for you :)

                

I cut my tabs out and taped (double sided of course) to recycled scrap paper I had leftover from my wedding programs. Now it is doubled recycled, ha! I placed the tabs along the side of the board for optimal spacing.

I decided to use the other million pieces of recycled paper as my recipe cards. The idea is for these cards to list ingredients on one side and instructions on the other side. Hopefully making meal planning super easy and grocery lists even easier.  I'm focused mainly on dinners right now as we have pretty standard breakfasts and both eat at work for lunch. When little ones come, I'll probably have to revise the board :)

I then made a recipe pocket holder out of scrap fabric. Basically I just cut a square and pinned it to the board with thumb tacks. I used thumb tacks for pinning everything to the board btw. I like the rustic look and if I decide to change the board, nothing is permanent. What will take a bit longer is writing different meals on my menu cards. I already wrote out our favorites and quick meals. My plan is to add a few more each week. 

I also made a "trending" column for any new recipes I want to try. I always find recipes in magazines or online. I'll pin it to my board and try it out - if we like it, then I'll make a recipe card for it and it will become part of the collection!

Final Product.

I added space for a calendar because they always help me out! The board itself is hanging in my kitchen, easily accessible. The board is not perfect and that's how I like it. It keeps my vintage feel alive and the recycled brown paper adds a touch of nature. Don't forget my house theme, Vintage Cabin in the Woods...

Thrifty Tip: find ways to motivate yourself. I am personally motivated by organization and fun, this board does both of those things for me. In the long run, I won't spend as much time looking up recipes and making grocery lists. 


Do you like my board? Have your own ideas or boards? Post away!