My Paper Crane

Tuesday September 08th 2009, 1:24 pm

Since school has started we have really developed a rhythm that is working well. On Saturdays I plan out a week’s worth of meals (and lunches) and go shopping from that list. I have no idea why its the first time I am really doing it, but it is wonderful. Not only does it take away the “what will I make for dinner” but has also really reduced the amount of groceries I buy. I also have been doing studio work only while the kids are at school. This means we have spent our week day evenings either swimming, taking a walk, at the library, or walking down to the local theater to watch a movie. Then the weekends are looser with unplanned meals, crafty time, friends, etc. Now if I could only find a system to keep me on track with emails.

Last night’s dinner was tortellini soup which is super easy. I used veggie stock, carrots, onions, and spinach, and then threw in the tortellini when the veggies were tender, easy peasy.

Fall leaf plushies are in the works-oak leaves above, but other colors and varieties soon.

» 4 Comments

I love the idea of tortellini soup – i have some tortellini in the firdge at the moment. thats my dinner tommorrow sorted!

I always find them a bit too heavy with a pasta sauce, but soup looks fab!

Comment by Vic 09.08.09 @ 3:09 pm

It sounds like we have similar rhythms. ;) I use my husband’s work hours to set my own. Work was bleeding over in to the evenings more and more, so it is so nice to have a set schedule, and a deadline for the day’s to-do list. And now I don’t go through the evening feeling like I should be working on something either.

We also plan out the meals, but only for about 4-5 days at a time. If you don’t do it already, you might like this ~ I have a blank list with the different sections of the grocery store, like produce, meats, international, etc. (Just think of what your store groups together in the aisles.) We print that out and write our list under the categories, and it really saves time, not having to run all over for things you missed.

One more suggestion, this time for email. If you end up typing a lot of the same things over & over again, I *definitely* recommend getting a text expansion program. It will greatly reduce the amount of time you spend answering emails, but you still have to read them ;) Let me know if you need names.

Comment by Tiffany Harvey 09.08.09 @ 3:27 pm

the leaves are sooo cute! i may need to get one to go with my son’s acorn ;D make that three!