I am such a last minute Lucy when it comes to dinner, especially in the summer. It seems that I am constantly pantry diving or freezer surfing when the kids start raiding the snack drawer just before dinner.
I decided I needed to get a little more organized each week for a number of reasons so I created this DIY Weekly Menu Planner. I thought it would reduce my stress to actually have a meal plan. I am also hopeful that it will save us a lot of money on our monthly grocery bill. Additionally, I hope this will help my family to stop wasting so much food. I often forget what fresh produce I have in the refrigerator and it ends up going bad. Ugh! Makes me sick. I get so mad at myself every week so I am hoping this helps rectify that!
When I decided that I wanted to start meal planning, I knew I wanted something cute that I could easily write on and leave in my kitchen. I had an 8×10 photo frame on hand. I thought that would be a good size for writing the daily menu. I didn’t like the wood color finish so I painted it using chalkpaint. I typically use Annie Sloan or CeCe Caldwell brands. I created the Weekly Planner Image using Illustrator. And I am sharing the free printable for your own personal use! I wanted to make it super easy for you so you didn’t have to worry about creating your own image.
You will just need a frame that fits an 8×10 photo. Download the free printable here: ArtSoulLiving-MealPlannerPrintable. You just have to click on the link, save the image and print it! I wanted to put it on cute paper so I cut a 12×12 piece of scrapbook paper down to 8 ½ x 11 so I could feed it through my printer. Simply print and then put it in your frame with glass.
Use a whiteboard marker to write your menu for the week. Start fresh each week by wiping it clean with a paper towel. Stick a fork in it and you are done. I told you it would be an easy project.
Let me know if you try it and if you find it helpful! Happy Meal Planning!
