I have been blogging for exactly 1 year today! Happy anniversary to me. LOL. Though I began a year ago today on a Yahoo 360 blog, it didn't take but a few  days before I discovered Homeschool Blogger and switched over. In recongnition of blogging for 1 year, I thought I would repost this:

homeschooling and planning/time helps go hand in hand. A teaching mom needs to be as efficient as possible to free up time to be a mom and teacher first and foremost. Here is a quicky idea to make menu planning and daily cooking a snap.

I do my recipes on 3X5 index cards. These store easily in a file box when not needed during that week and can be posted on the refrigerator for an at a glance menu plan during the week. If plans change, the cards can easily be moved about.

Here is how to set your refrigerator up for a menu planner. Use your computer to make headers to label the day of the week at the top of each column. I only needed six because I cook enough on Saturday to have left overs on Sunday, so I combine Saturday and Sunday together on one card. Make these no wider than 5 inches to match the 3x5 recipe card width.

For the recipe cards I place a small amount of clear tape on the back to protect the cards from tearing when they are placed and removed from the refrigerator. I attch the cards to the refrigerator door using a rolled piece of tape attached to that protective layer. The cards can then be easily taped up, moved, and taken down.

Now before grocery day, I just browse through my cards and tape them up what I plan to serve under the day's header and make a grocery list from what I post. As the foods are cooked and the left overs are refrigerated, I leave the card up or take it down to reflect if I have any leftovers from that card still in the refrigerator. This is a great way to monitor what needs to be eaten up and how long it has been in the fridge during the week.

Give this idea a try. I think you will find that it is a great system!