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"You have taught me to believe in myself and to take things slowly, one step at a time, keep sight of my goals, both short term and long term.

Your coaching style was both nuturing and motivating, you seemed to intuitively know some days what I needed most. Your caring and understanding was so appreciated and it came from the heart."

-Holly C.

I would recommend the Simplicity Course as an easy, practical way to start simplifying one's life. I especially liked the segments on Tolerations, Wardrobe, and Office and Paperwork.

Each day focuses on only one task, which is helpful to people who feel overwhelmed by the complexities of modern life and hardly know where to begin downshifting.

-Joan, New York

Beth has an uncanny way of, "reading between the lines" to see a person's heart. I appreciate how genuine she is.

I have already begun implementing her suggestions, and am dumbstruck at how well they are working. I am feeling so much more secure, and feel I am finally put onto a life path that will bring me joy for many years to come."

-Sue Halpern

I feel more focused and have an objective instead of aimlessly filling up the day.

-Shelli Segura

 

 

Menu Planning

 

Menu planning saves you time and money. No more running out every night to pick something up for dinner. No more ordering out for pizza and Chinese three times a week or standing in front of the freezer going, "I have no idea what to fix tonight."

You can either make a menu plan once a week, make a month full of menus at a time and rotate or make up to three months worth of menus. You can just make dinner plans or plan breakfast and lunch, too. Just choose a plan that suits your needs.

  1. Gather all your favorite recipes, your cookbooks and menu plans torn from magazines. You can get suggestions from the family of their favorite recipes. Below are some links to different menu plans and recipes.
  2. Now decide what kinds of foods to have each day to get a variety. Monday can be soup and sandwiches, Tuesday can be chicken. Then there's fish, beef, casseroles, pasta and leftovers. You can include a kid's cook night or have an eat out night on a busy evening.
  3. Plan your menus. Take a sheet of paper and use it to chart out your menu plan for the week or month. Or use this Weekly Menu Planner. Next to Monday you may have tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, carrots and broccoli with dip. Tuesday might be grilled chicken, tossed salad, rice and green beans. If you like experimenting, you can choose one night a month to try a new recipe.
  4. Next time you go grocery shopping you just take out your menu plan and write down the ingredients you need. You can also make a master grocery list on the computer if you think that would help you.

Menu Planning Links

Here are some links designed to help you plan your meals.

Kitchenlink has tons of recipes and has a menu plan at Surf for your Supper

All Recipes Daily meal, special occasions, thousands of recipes

Busy Cooks Menus, make ahead meals, freezer meals, fast meals

Cooking by Numbers Tell them what's in your pantry or fridge and they come up with some recipes for you

Betty Crocker has several different weekly menu plans like gourmet, kids and fast (my favorite).

Meals for You Huge assortment of recipes, menu plans like international, lighter fare and vegetarian plus a grocery list maker

Seasonal Menu Plans and recipes

Printable grocery list from Digital Women I love this because all you do is print it, check off what you need then add to it if you have to

Shopping List software Free download

Meal Planning with Excel let your computer count calories, etc. for you

OAMC Once a Month Cooking

 

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Beth Dargis helps the overwhelmed to create saner, simpler lives. For free monthly Simple Self Care Calendar and Weekly Simplicity Tips visit: http://www.encouragingcoach.com. This article is Copyright © 2005 by Beth Dargis, Zeeland MI. To send feedback or request reprint permission (usually granted free of charge), please contact .

 

 

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