08.26 Weekly Message

Hi mama!

If you know me, you know I love systems.

I’ve been a digital strategist for over ten years, and I’m all about optimizing everything in my life.

Before we left for Michigan, we hit a bit of a food funk, so I decided to revamp our meal plan to make sure we’re excited about what we eat every day. Because honestly, life is too short to eat sad food.

Here’s how it works: each day has a theme. For some themes, I prep the same meal to avoid decision fatigue, while for others, I’m working towards having four solid options to rotate.

Here’s our weekly breakdown:

• Monday Pork – I usually make this delicious Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin, but this Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce is also an option as well as ribs.

• Tuesday Salmon – Served with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli. No variations, this is always the same. A few years ago this Gordon Ramsay video taught me how to make the perfect salmon and I’m never looking back.

• Wednesday Steak– Again, there are no changes to this, I always make my steak the same way. Diligently following Gordon Ramsay’s instruction. Served with baked potatoes and asparagus.

• Thursday Soup – This is a fun one because we’ve been trying a new one every week looking for the perfect rotation. So far we have three we LOVE: this healthy chicken pot pie soup, this creamy corn chowder, and this jalapeño popper soup.

• Friday Takeout – We either get pizza or sushi.

• Saturday Italian – We go back to this creamy mushroom pasta a LOT, but my bolognese is always a classic.

• Sunday Fry Up + Mexican – Papa’s Amazing British Fry-Up for brunch, and Mexican for dinner—usually these enchiladas or classic burritos.

I always make sure these meals are enough for leftovers. Only steak night doesn’t leave extras, so we do sandwiches the next day.

Emi gets a version of these meals for her dinner the next day, and for her other meals, I batch-bake oats, banana pancakes, and/or lunch muffins—along with plenty of fruit and veggies.

I hope this system sparks some ideas or brings a little order to your kitchen.

Let’s make this week a delicious and joyful one.

EAT: As I just mentioned, I’m aiming for four AMAZING soups on my menu—I’m still missing one. Could it be you, Creamy Tortellini Soup?

READ: Clariel was such a fun read! I love the Old Kingdom series, and it felt great to revisit that world. This week, I’m switching things up with a Bridgerton prequel: The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband. This will be book 6 out of 23 in my reading challenge!

CRAFT: I recently got an embroidery kit with 200 threads, and I’m not afraid to use it! I just finished a project, and I’m so proud of myself—the perfect bookmark for Emi to tug on. Now, everyone I know is getting a bookmark!

SENSORY: I’m trying out different color-sorting activities this week. We’re working with two colors at a time, and I love the simplicity of this set up.

LANGUAGE: We are absolutely loving the Little Michigan book, which is packed with cute trivia questions. They have versions for most states, and it's a great way for little ones to learn about their home state. Now, I just need to find the Puerto Rico version!

MINDFULNESS: I love using this steel tongue drum during our affirmations. If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a look at this month’s affirmations, including some back-to-school ones!

LIFE SKILLS: Not sure which practical skills you should be introducing? Here’s a handy guide:

• 12 months: Click here to see video

• 18 months: Click here to see video

• 20 months: Click here to see video 

ART: If you’re like me, you’re already in your autumn feels, but there are still a few weeks of summer left! Make the most of them with these fun Toddler Art Projects for Summer.

ps. All my free printables are available here.

How cute is this?! I love the use of natural materials and @nannyemy7 has tons of Montessori-inspired activities that are super easy to set up.

Make sure you visit her Instagram profile for more inspiration!

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