I don’t know how people are able to cook dinners for their families without having their meals planned out! I physically cannot do it and I think that we would spend way more money than we need to. Even when we did not have children, my husband and I created dinner menus. We have always grabbed a piece of scrap paper or computer paper and scribbled the menu and grocery list onto it… and then that got hung on our refrigerator. I gotta tell you, it always irked me! I like my kitchen (and entire house) to be neat and tidy and these just weren’t cutting it… 6 years now I have been dealing with it! Why have I waited so long? I don’t know! But I have come up with an adorable solution that fits in with my kitchen decor and I am happy to show off!
I created this weekly meal planner with the help of an adorable digital scrapbook kit from Here a Scrap There a Scrap. I printed the cover and back cover onto cardstock and printed 52 copies of the inside page. I then spiral bound it into a book and ta-da! I ended up with the perfect meal planner for my family! The inside pages can be removed and posted on the fridge, or you can just keep them in the book – whatever works for you.
The inside page is broken down by week day and has a section for your grocery list that can be cut out and brought to the store. I also could imagine bringing this whole book to the store… you could bind an envelope into it to hold your coupons and voila good to go.
I just came over to your blog from Sisters Stuff and love love love this menu planner!! I’ve been using a plain old 1 subject spiral notebook for menu planning, and it just isn’t cutting it. This is perfect. And I even have a binding machine in my craft stash. Thanks!
Donna
This is awesome and I have just the person to gift it to, I am having trouble downloading it though. Is there something special I need?
That’s awesome! It would be so helpful for me to have a meal planner…I betcha I would save lots of money…and time. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you come and link again sometime!
~Andy@ Poppies @ Play
I’m also a planner…and your book is *way* cuter than my scrap paper! I feel the urge to start a new project coming on…
Oh, ps- found your link on TJ.
I LOVE your idea of binding it. That way I can go back and get ideas from weeks before when I are stumped about what to make for dinner. I have been using a cute weekly planner but it is just on loose paper and I throw it away at the end of the week. I am going to make one this week for sure! Thank you for the free download!
FABULOUS! I am posting this on my blog and linking back to you. Thanks for this great freebie! I love your blog, btw!
http://www.wantitall4free.blogspot.com
A woman after my own heart. This meal planner is something I have needed for a long time. Thanks so much for sharing it. It is awesome, and you are too! I also found your blog through Sisters Stuff.
Kate
Well I love this!!! This is so stinking cute, and I am like you-physically cannot do dinner or shopping without a well thought out plan or we would end up with pizza every night!!!
I’ve been thinking I should really try meal planners as my random, go to the grocery store every day and serve dinner at 8:30 pm method is just not working anymore…
This is just what I need to change my ways!
Thanks much for sharing
wonderful!!! what a awesome gift!! thanks so much!
So cute!! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Just too cute, great post
I found this while visiting Sister’s Stuff blog and I linked it to my blog. Too cute!
http://ourdailyconnections.blogspot.com
oooo…I so need this…the scrap pieces of paper with scrawls on them in my purse are not cutting it…
Thank you so much for sharing this planner. I put those sides in my 2010 planner- so it will help me through the year!
This is perfect!
Thanks from Germany
Susanne
We’ve been using this for a while now and love it! I just linked you in a post because this is such a great, creative idea!
Everyone is very welcome! I am so glad to see that people are able to put it to use.
Kim
Just found your great blog today! I love this menu planner…I so need to get on top of this! It is hard to make meals without a plan…and wastes so much money. Yours is so cute!
I use scrap paper (when I actually plan). I like yours so much better! Thanks at linking up at Whatever Goes Wednesday.
I have to get better at meal planning! Thx for the download :).
Thank you…just what I needed.
I love this idea and it looks so cute! I can’t seem to down load it though, am I doing something wrong?? laura
Laura,
Do you have a slow internet connection? It is a large file. When you click download, make sure to click save and it will take some time for it to do so.
Kim
Wow, this is something I definitely need! thanks for sharing it with us on sweet charli! Hope to see you bacK!
Oh I want this! I posted it on my blog as a fab find but now I notice that the link to download isn’t working. 🙁 Is it no longer available for download?
What a great idea. Thanks for posting this. Found your blog through Coupon Sense.
Love it! I put the one I made on my blog today with a link to your post. 🙂 Thanks!
http://lifeofamodernmom.blogspot.com/2010/08/menu-monday_23.html
I love this idea! How creative. I posted about it on my blog at http://www.mycrazybliss.com
Hi Kim! Thanks for the printable, is really cute, I’m going to start planning meals right now!
Greetings from Spain
Thank you!
what a cute idea! thanks for the free printable!
Thanks for the planner!
This is brilliant! I was doing meal planning pretty regularly, but like you, hated always having it on scraps of paper! I’m going to do what you did, and … I even have a binding machine in my house. First time I’ve been glad of THAT! (I have it for work)
Thanks for creating this, and thanks for making it available!
Thank you so much for this great menu planner. So cute! Making a book for my friends too! Love your site!
Love this! However, after I printed this out, I noticed that the colors on Monday thru Saturday are a little too dark to write in with a blue or black pen. I did see the black and white version, but I really like the color one better. Is there a lighter color version?
I use this on regular basis and have not had an issue with the colors being too dark. It may be that your printer needs to be adjusted as I print mine on professional Xerox machines.
We have an HP inkjet printer. I did see that you had another meal planner with buttons. When I printed that one out, the colors were much lighter and easier me to write on and see. Plus, it’s so cute! I printed out about 52 weekly planners and am using a three ring binder I have a home to put them in.
We have never done meal planning before, so this will be a first for us. My husband is diabetic, I’m mildly overweight as is our 13 year old son. He’s already picked the first meal – Taco stuffed peppers!
YAY! I’m so glad you were able to make it work for you. Best of luck on your new adventure and good health to you and your family.
And sorry, no there isn’t another color option. Hopefully you can make it work, or feel free to try the black and white version! Hope you can get it to work for you as I find them extremely helpful in my meal planning! 😉
This is a must for me! I’m a mother of 4 and I hate to cook! (Thank God my husband does the cooking in our household) my mother in law cooks out of order without knowing what’s inside her refrigerator this bothers me as I have OCD and gives me anxiety attacks so planning is a MUST for me. Finding this has given my OCD a RELIEF. Every single word “We have always grabbed a piece of scrap paper or computer paper and scribbled the menu and grocery list onto it… and then that got hung on our refrigerator. I gotta tell you, it always irked me! I like my kitchen (and entire house) to be neat and tidy and these just weren’t cutting it…” IS EXACTLY HOW I AM FEELING and brought me to tears that someone finally understands what I am going through. Thank you so much and I can’t wait to explore more of your blog. (Source: Google Search- Daily Planner Agenda PDF)
I am so happy that this menu planner has been helpful to your family Shirley! <3