Cupcakes and Cutlery - Los Angeles Orange County Lifestyle Blog

Toast and Jams Brunch Ideas with Balloons

September 23, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

I love a good brunch, don’t you!?! I’ve been wanting to put together a music inspired ‘Toast and Jams’ brunch for a while. Cute, right? I partnered with Balloon Time to share some fun brunch ideas with you including how to easily use themed balloons to decorate and share a signature cocktail recipe with your guests. This brunch theme is super simple to execute and won’t have you getting up in the middle of the night to prepare everything! That’s a brunch win in my book! There are just a few things that are essential to a successful brunch, in my opinion. Yummy food, mimosas and great music. As far as decorations go, keep things easy with just a few focal points. If this was a brunch to celebrate a birthday, I would add in some more colorful balloons to make it feel more festive. But otherwise, I like to keep things simple. I kept the food right on the table for easy reach and guests can either sit there or move to the living room. A bar cart is always a great party idea so you can move it out-of-the-way if an area gets too crowded. Fresh flowers always help to make it feel like you put in some effort for your guests (but really don’t take much time at all.) I used empty jam jars to create the little arrangements on the table. Finding unique balloons is a really fun way to add personality to your party space. Keeping a helium tank at home allows you to easily decorate for your party without having to struggle to fit all the balloons in the back of your car. I’ve done that dance and swear there must be some hidden video footage somewhere of my awkwardness, trying to keep all the balloons in the car as the back door comes down.

Your brunch playlist should start off smooth and easy then move toward the more rocking songs. Make sure your guests have at least had one cup of coffee before any Guns N Roses comes on.
I love to customize balloons to make party signs also. Using a simple mylar balloon and some stickers lets me make a balloon say whatever I want. Balloon DIYs and party decorations are super easy with a Balloon Time tank. These simple round mylar balloons come in a variety of colors making it easy to find one that fits the look of your party. To DIY a custom saying, just stick on some stickers! In all my balloon posts I like to mention that you need to consider the weight of any material that you add to your balloon. These stickers were pretty thick and the weight of them made the balloon front heavy. To fix this, you can duplicate the saying on the reverse side of the balloon. I always try to use a really lightweight string or ribbon to secure the balloon so that it isn’t contributing to the overall weight. Too much weight on your balloon will be too much for the helium to keep afloat. Oh hey, Drake. I see you in the background. On larger balloons, that have more helium, you can use more weight for your decoration. These stickers were also lighter which meant I could write out a recipe AND a song lyric and the balloon was totally fine. Full disclosure: this would have had the measurements on it too had I made sure the sticker pack I picked up had enough numbers…Duh.Another fun option for sharing a signature party drink recipe is to write on them! I asked Tammy, of Letters to You to write out the recipe for me because her writing is THE BEST! (She’s also my sometime photographer. She’s super talented!) She used a Sharpie Oil Paint Pen and wrote right on the balloon after it was blown up. I love how that turned out. Since not all of us have such amazing writing, I wanted to make sure to show you can create a recipe with stickers too.

For your brunch, the classic mimosa should always be present (which means there is plain orange juice for the non drinkers…) but I like to include a signature cocktail too. I decided to include a cocktail with jam in it to go along with the brunch theme. Your brunch ideas don’t need to be super elaborate, but put a little thought in to the details to make the party cohesive. Having little surprises around each turn is what guests remember! And I wasn’t kidding around about the toast part of this brunch theme. I set out 3 different kinds of bread, some of which I pre-toasted (but you can easily set out a toaster – maybe ask someone to bring a second one – and have people toast their own bread as they want it). I also included a raspberry jam danish to stay on theme (and because it’s my favorite breakfast ever that I usually reserve for Christmas Day so…)I grabbed a variety of jams to set out so each guest could choose what they wanted. I also set out Nutella, because yum, and avocado because avocado toast is the new donut. It’s so hot right now. These brunch ideas are all about having your friends over, giving them a fun experience and enjoying the morning right along with them. And to make the party extra memorable for your guests, you should absolutely send them home with their very own Drake balloon party favor. I mean, YOLO.

This post is sponsored by Balloon Time.

Images by Dez and Tam Photography

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Internet Safety Rules Family Agreement

September 21, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

One of the questions I get asked the most is if my kids have their own social media accounts. The answer is yes, but I want to be very clear that these accounts are not theirs alone. While kids see apps, such as Instagram and YouTube as fun, they can be VERY dangerous if not monitored correctly. So, yes my kids have them. And I have them too. We’re in it together. As a blogger, my life is all online. And because I talk about my kids, some of their life is online too. I’m very careful, however, with what I share and how I share it and talk regularly with the kids about internet safety. But even though I try to stay on top of navigating the online world with my kids, things happen. I am so grateful that National PTA and LifeLock created, The Smart Talk, an online tool designed to help our children know how to safely use and be part of our digitally connected world. This online agreement, that you complete along with your kids, puts family internet safety rules in writing and helps keep everyone accountable.About 9 months ago, the kids were in the kitchen packing their lunch after we finished up our dinner routine. The phone rang and I answered it. The man on the line asked, by name, for my youngest child. It immediately caught me off guard and I was instantly angry. Without giving away any more personal info, I asked questions to try to figure out how he had gotten our home number and my son’s name. Even as I hung up, I was perplexed. Surely my 6-year-old wouldn’t have given out his name and our number. We’ve talked about online safety before. And then my son mentioned something about a video game where he “filled out” some information. When we talk to our kids about online safety, there is no possible way that our words translate over all the possible situations that can pop up before them. Although we had talked about how you are to never share you personal info with people in chat rooms and on social media, my son had thought nothing of putting our information in a very official looking form, within his video game, that would earn him coins to use. Floored. What that taught me is that we can’t have the conversation once. We need to keep having it and keep talking about it.

So when my kids asked me for their own YouTube channel I was like, NOPE. After some time (or maybe it was because my husband said okay without really thinking about how time-consuming that would be for us…) they ended up with a channel. And a whole new set of rules. I love that they are able to be creative and create movies and be funny and learn what parts of it they like doing more than others. I also see that it could potentially turn in to a career for them can help teach them skills that could help them with school projects, etc. But along with this online presence comes a whole new set of rules. They are not allowed to use their real names (something that I often screw up when they are filming and we have to bleep it out). They can’t wear shirts that show their school name. And other things like that. This is what I feel comfortable with and if they want to have the channel these are rules they have to follow.It is an interesting age, with lots of learning. My oldest son likes to be funny and prank people. But he’s not that adept at knowing when something is actually a prank or when someone might just think he is being mean. (He very much has my husband’s sense of humor). This lead to a discussion about how things he says online might not come across as he intended. It’s also important for him to know that anything he posts now, could come back to hurt him in the future. It’s a huge idea, that kids may or may not be able to grasp. I have to take it step by step and do what I feel is best at each moment. And since the internet and social media is not going away, it’s best to tackle it head on now so that you have an open dialogue with your kids about the online world. Your kids might just be asking to use Instagram but I suggest to you that you treat it not just as social media, but a tool to teach them a skill. For my kids, their YouTube channel is a place for them to create something. We talk about what they are filming and why someone would want to watch it. We treat what they post as content and therefore it should be a certain quality. My oldest has taken an online class for editing videos with iMovie and we talk about lighting and sound recording etc. Nothing gets posted ANYWHERE without my approval. Instagram (with my oldest) is a little more hands off because I follow his account, it is private and he is not allowed to follow or allow strangers to follow his account. I also know he isn’t browsing around in the “explore” area as they are only using social media and electronic devices outside of their bedrooms. Last weekend we sat down together and created our Smart Talk agreement to help create internet safety rules for our family. It took about 10 minutes and allowed us to create some ground rules for general electronics use and to talk a little bit more in detail about certain areas where I felt like we needed to. Because we had the phone incident, it prompted me to expand on examples so my youngest could see multiple angles of things to look out for. The Smart Talk agreement is a guided conversation and interactive experience that goes over the use of all electronic devices and who is responsible for them (like who will pay if they get broken – my answer was no one. You break it, you lost it) and how many hours a day your family is ok with the kids using them.The tool creates a printable contract to hold parents and kids accountable. It is something we can revisit and revise as we need to as technology, and how we use it, changes. I’m grateful to the National PTA and LifeLock for making it a priority to foster positivity online with our kids. I’ve seen first hand what an awesome space it is but it is important to know that it can be extremely dangerous for kids if not monitored.It was my youngest who reminded me that if the agreement was going to be in a photograph used online, they weren’t allowed to sign their real names. So they used their YouTube names, Kid and Bigger Kid. At least some of what they are learning is sticking…We will continue to work together and create things that end up online for their friends and other family to see. And we will continue to talk about our internet safety rules too. The online world can be scary and overwhelming for parents. I’m thankful that LifeLock and National PTA are here to support us and help us help our children stay as safe as possible.

This is not my first time partnering with LifeLock and National PTA. See my post on sharing positivity online.

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How to Enjoy Running Errands

September 20, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow 4 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tazo® Tea for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have to do them. But running errands can be such a drag! There are certain places that seem to be absolute joy suckers (looking at you, Post Office). And other places are fine but just another stop on your seemingly never-ending to-do list. As I sent my son back to school a few weeks ago, telling him that it is up to him whether he has a good day or a bad day (he’s not that into the idea of school…) I totally got it. It’s up to me whether running errands is fun or a total drain on my happy tank. First, I make a plan for my errands. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Here is also where I start building in things that make me happy. I make my favorite cup of Tazo® Tea Awake™ English Breakfast Tea and start organizing my errands list. With the kids in school, and a job (that I really enjoy, BTW), I need to make sure that my errands run smoothly and I’m not criss-crossing all over town, wasting time. I keep in mind what time stores open and how long each errand might take. I run my errands as early as possible to cut down on that super sweaty, “OMG my kids will think I’m stranding them at school” feeling. I’ll never forget the time I was basically trapped in a terribly laid out parking lot and almost drove through a bush so I could make preschool pick up… I gather up all the things I need to take with me, whether it’s a store coupon, an item I need to return or my grocery list.Running errands means that I also get to control the music for once. Before I get in the car I choose what artist or playlist I’m in the mood to listen to. This means that I get to sing along with my favorite music in the car which makes passing the time between errands a whole lot more fun. Yes, I do some steering wheel drumming and if no one is looking, I sing the crap out of some Adele at a very loud level. I make sure that I take along my favorite Tazo® tea so I can #SipJoyfully through all my errands. My to-go cup makes sure that it stays hot. I usually keep a water bottle in the car too. I do not want to have to add in another stop on my long list just to grab a drink from somewhere. My daily cup of tea is what makes my day better. Tea time doesn’t have to be all relaxed and cozy. For me, it’s like a cup of happy. This black tea is always full of flavor and spices and is invigorating any time of the day. If I know that I’ve got errand on errand on errand, I always try to squeeze in a fun one, like a pedicure. Yes, a pedicure is an errand. A gal has got to keep her toes looking right. Meeting up with a friend to tackle errands is the best. While my friends may or may not need to go to all the same places as I do, it’s a pretty sure thing that I can get someone to meet me for a pedicure. It’s a nice break from the break-neck pace of the rest of your errands. It’s a great way to catch up while still bring able to cross something off of your to-do list. Running errands is so much more fun when you are comfortable. I try to wear a cute outfit, that feels like pajamas, but looks put together. Leggings are my jam for days when I’m going to be in and out of the car a lot. There are tons of stylish options to choose from, that show your personality. They won’t get wrinkled by the seat belt the way a dress can.I’ve been a super fan of Tazo® Tea for years. I love that you can find it right in your grocery store and you know that you are getting a great, quality product each and every time. Tazo tea is crisp and clean, like their branding. I always have this on hand at home. Don’t forget to try their other great flavors like Zen™ and Passion®.I’ve got my secret weapon. Tazo® Tea reminds me to enjoy the ride, keep in a positive head space and get it all done. How do you make sure that running errands doesn’t suck for you?

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DIY Keychain for Essential Oils

September 19, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

I’m not sure if you guys noticed but a while ago, bloggers everywhere started trying to sell everyone essential oils. I totally get it. It’s a great way to make a little extra money, especially if you sign other people up to sell them to. It’s a situation similar to Avon and Lularoe. And I signed up to sell them too. And I did. To my mom. And I bought them for myself also. But that’s where I stopped. I’ve been using them for about a year and a half now and I love them. I can’t go to bed without using my favorite sleep oils. And I love them enough to want to take my favorite smells along with me when I leave the house. So I created this DIY keychain to use with essential oils. I mean, it looks cool on its own, so you don’t even have to add the oils if you don’t want to.

This post may contain affiliate links.
All you need for this DIY keychain is a faux suede tassel, a key ring of some kind and essential oils (you don’t have to buy from me, you don’t even have to buy doTerra, but not all oils are the same quality so just know that going in!).I love this copper-colored “D” ring that I found on Amazon. I walk to school to pick up the kids and this is something that I can hold in my hand really easily and also fits in my pocket. I love that to open and close it, you just twist the middle section. I can’t tell you how many finger nails I’ve broken trying to move keys off of the normal key rings. Just slide your tassel on…then add your keys. Screw the ring back together and you’re almost done. Choose your favorite oil and add a few drops to the knotted area of the tassel. I chose to use Whisper since I was in a hippie mood that day. Whisper is a blend said to “entice and intrigue the senses” and is made up of Bergamot Peel, Ylang Ylang Flower, Patchouli Leaf, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Jasmine Flower Absolute, Cinnamon Bark, Labdanum, Vetiver Root, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Cocoa Bean Absolute, and Rose essential oils. But orange would also smell amazing. Or lavender. Which would also be good for when you are out and about and you encounter stupid people and you need something to help you not punch them in the throat. Cute right? I LOVE aromatherapy and love to have something yummy smelling on hand with me at all times. And since you always have your keys with you, I figured it would be a DIY keychain for essential oils was a great idea. Do you use oils? What’s your favorite? This would also make a great little gift for your girlfriends!

I have a board full of awesome essential oil info on Pinterest, you should follow it!

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15 Ways to Focus on Yourself

September 14, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

Moms get busy. This is no secret. Of course, we put our families first, but are we taking care of ourselves throughout the day too? Taking a break won’t get you off track. And there is no reason to feel guilty when you focus on yourself. I partnered with your new favorite snack, Café Breaks, to share 15 easy ways to take 15 minutes to focus on yourself . These breaks don’t have to be elaborate. They’re just supposed to make you happy and feel like the gal you were before you had a kids. Sometimes we forget about what truly makes us happy, as individuals, because we don’t think we have time for it. But it’s important to make the time. Of course, this gets easier as your kids get older. If you have toddlers, some of these may not be feasible. My kids are in 2nd and 5th grade and it’s AMAZING! Plus I think it’s super important for you to show your kids that you value yourself and your interests and that each family member is no more important than another. 1. Read a book. While you won’t get through much of it in 15 minutes, it will allow your brain to forget about the stresses of the day. I used to think I could only read on airplanes, when not traveling with my kids. But now I don’t believe that. You can read during the day or read at the same times as your kids during homework time. The books don’t have to be all brainy either. Sometimes the easy readers are exactly what you need!

2. Make some infused water. Although I start my day with coffee, I move on to water right after. But that can get boring. Take 15 minutes to prepare an infused water recipe. It takes almost no time at all but is such a treat! Flavored water is my jam.

3. Get out of the house and grab a drink. You can make your own cup of coffee. Duh. But a cup of coffee made by someone else, for you, tastes SO much better. Or pick up your favorite iced tea! Or try something new. This shouldn’t be a trek to some far off location. Just pop over to your neighborhood spot to grab a drink. It can totally lift your mood. Save the big excursions for your next coffee date with the girls. 4. Play your favorite game on the iPad. A good game of Candy Crush is good for the soul. But I have to admit that since I’m at a high level now, and it’s harder to level up. I had to download Candy Crush Soda Saga and Candy Crush Jelly Saga so I can actually play for a while. Or solitaire. I love me some solitaire.

5. Make a playlist. For me, music makes the world go around. I often find that I create playlists when I have tons of other things to do. But that’s ok. It makes me happy. I use Spotify and it’s super easy. I make them for all types of moods and then listen to them when I’m working, driving and cooking dinner.

6. Take a walk. Sometimes you just need to refresh yourself and get outside for a second. I’m not talking about exercise. Ew. Take a scenic walk, listen to some tunes, look around. Just get out of the house. Even a quick walk around the block is good enough. The fresh air will do you good and is a great way to focus on yourself. 7. Write something. Write in a journal or make a list of ideas of creative projects you want to tackle. I don’t personally have a journal. No wait, I have a blog! But I do like to write down things I’ve been thinking about whether it’s an idea for a craft or recipe. I can’t even tell you how gratifying it is to create a Target list! Maybe even make a bucket list!

8. Make an essential oil blend. I don’t know if you are in to the oils, but I totally am. While I believe they help with certain things like falling asleep and stomach aches, etc. I also just love how they smell! Put a little lavender in your diffuser and you’d swear you just walked in to a spa. OK, that might be an overstatement but taking a few minutes to make a blend that will brighten your mood is a great idea!

9. Swap out photos in your frames. I love the photos I have up around my house. But most are very old and we’ve taken so many amazing photos since those were framed. Taking a few minutes to sort through photos on your computer, or that you’ve already had printed is really fun. It’s a quick walk down memory lane. Then when they arrive (because no one GOES somewhere to print pictures anymore) you can put them in your frames and your whole family will love it!

10. Curl your hair. Or straighten it. Do whatever style you never have enough time to do in the morning. I get up at quarter to 6 every day so there’s no chance I’m getting up any earlier just to do my hair. Getting the kids off to school is the focus, my hair is not. But some days I like to try to at least look a little more presentable at pick up. Taking 15 minutes to make your hair cute does wonders for your overall outlook. At least it does for me anyway.
11. Read a magazine. I have always been an avid reader but now they just stack up in my kitchen until they form a leaning tower. There’s always something I think that I should do instead of flip through a magazine. So when I actually do, it’s extra special. You can easily get through a magazine in 15 minutes, especially if it’s a design magazine. Doing this is in the middle of the day is so freeing!

12. Pour a glass of wine. (When it’s time-of-day-appropriate. I’d say no mimosas prior to 9 am…) You deserve it! A glass of wine while preparing dinner is amazing. And something I almost never do! I’m not suggesting you get hammered (but that’s totally up to you, I don’t really judge). I’ve also found that a nice glass of wine makes laundry folding a little easier to swallow.

13. Paint your nails. In an effort to save money, I’ve stopped getting regular pedicures. Tear. So my toes can end up looking like a hot mess. But taking the time to repaint them makes me feel a little more put together. I never attempt to create any nail art looks but a simple swipe of a trendy color is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

14. Watch TV. Get caught up on your favorite TV show or watch part of a documentary! (This will run longer than 15 minutes. 15 minutes can turn in to a 36 hour binge REAL quick. Use caution). TV is my happy place. It’s my favorite way to wind down at night and an absolute treat to watch in the middle of the day! 15. Take a snack break. Next time you’re at the store, pick up a treat for yourself that you haven’t tried before. It doesn’t have to be super sinful and a billion calories. It could even be some exotic fruit you’ve been wanting to try. For me, anything that is mocha flavored (which means chocolate and coffee!) is something I need to try. These Café Breaks pudding snacks are perfect! This little treat won’t break the bank or your waistline. They’re gluten-free and 100 calories or less per cup and made with real milk. Awesome. I added a few roasted almonds to mine because I love a little crunch in my pudding. These delicious pudding snacks can be found at your local Ralphs grocery store (look for them by the unrefrigerated pudding in the snack aisle). But if mocha isn’t your thing, these Café Breaks puddings comes in several other delicious coffee focused flavors like Caramel Latte, Chai Latte, and French Vanilla Latte. Yum! These are also great to grab and go whether you are running errands or taking the kids to soccer practice.

These 15 activities are the perfect way to focus on yourself a little more without totally getting off your daily grind. Hopefully you’ll feel refreshed and ready to tackle your next big project. Cafe Breaks wants you to know that you deserve a treat and I couldn’t agree more.

Thank you for supporting the brands, like Café Breaks, who sponsor posts and let me show you ways to treat yo’self.

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Printable Grocery List and Menu Planning for Busy Weeks

September 12, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KeepingMomsCool #Collective BiasI’m not sure if you’ve seen my crown, but I am the queen of getting dinner on the table fast. Working from home gives me some luxuries that other working moms don’t have. But I try to give myself “office hours” while the kids are in school. Which means no errands, no housework and meal prep. Even crock pot meals get started before the kid’s leave in the morning. It’s just too easy to get sidetracked, and watch Bachelor in Paradise, and never come back to work. Planning our meals really helps me make sure that I’m not buying too much food and that the meals match the amount of time we have to make dinner each day. With activities and meetings filling up our busy weeks, quick and easy dinners are a must. I’m sharing a free printable grocery list, with room for your meal plan, to help you feed your family easier on those busy weeks. Which is all of them. AmIright? I’m a pretty great multitasker but when I’m planning our meals for the week, I like to focus only on that. There are just too many variables that play in to trying to create a stress free weeknight cooking situation. I grab my printable grocery list, pen, cookbooks, torn out sheets from magazines of recipes I’ve been wanting to try and our cookbook of family favorites. I also grab our family calendar and text my husband asking which nights he will be out. Then I grab the store circulars because saving money is awesome. Once I have all this gathered, I can start planning. I’m a planner by nature so I oddly enjoy this process. It doesn’t take me that long to do but I feel great about knowing exactly what we’ll be eating all week, including a little wiggle room if something changes last-minute. Then I head to the store and pick up ALL the things. This printable grocery list breaks down items by section which makes you a super efficient shopper at the store. I just cross things off as I get them and I’m out of their in no time at all! I pick up extra fruit for the kids who inevitably ask for a snack a half hour before dinner or a pre bedtime snack. And I make sure to grab Kidfresh meals to keep on hand or those extra busy nights or when life throws you a curve ball. The kids love these, even with their hidden veggies. Right now, Target’s Cartwheel app is offering 40% off! I’m going back for more tomorrow. Getting dinner on the table can be challenging. I like to do a mix of meals that are favorites, meals that are really easy and then something new. My kids don’t love food. And they don’t love a lot of dishes that you think kids are supposed to love. I try out new recipes to see if we can find flavors they like that we might be able to work in to a routine. I try to only do one new recipe a week as even if they are a quick recipe, making something the first time seems to take forever! I also look for ways to use shortcuts. I really only want to have to focus on one cooking thing at a time so I’ll use frozen rice instead of making in on the stove. Quick swaps like that really help dinner come together fast. It’s what I do for our favorite chicken fried rice recipe which we eat just about every other week. If we have a Cub Scouts meeting, I know that dinner will need to be ready much earlier than usual. Luckily my kids love pasta and we can designate Cub Scouts nights as pasta night. I get creative with the sauce and this is where we keep things from getting boring. We tend to stick with spaghetti, as that is what the rest of my family loves. But I can top it with jarred sauce, jarred sauce jazzed up quickly with ground beef, frozen turkey ragu from one of our favorite stores, butter with cheese and garlic salt, or if I have some extra time, I’ll make my own turkey bolognese. I like to keep things interesting but always super easy. If I make a new main course and run out of energy with the side dishes, I usually just add some cinnamon apples. My family doesn’t love apples. Right now we are pretty much only in to Honeycrisp apples (OMG if you have never tried one you need to stop what you are doing and go get one. You’ll need to take out a loan because they’re expensive, but they are the only apple we will eat. So yum!) All I do is slice them, and toss them with a little bit of cinnamon. No cooking required. The kids LOVE these! It’s crazy. Easiest side dish ever! Planning our meals on my printable grocery list means that I never have to guess what is going on the dinner table at night. That totally stresses me out. I try to keep a few pantry stable items on hand just in case I forgot to thaw out my meat, or have forgotten an essential ingredient (happens more than I’d like to admit). My kids are on a big black bean kick so I always have that. A jar of marinara can turn frozen chicken tenders in to chicken parmesan really quickly. And while I try to stick with fresh veggies, I always have canned corn and green beans just in case. I pick up fast cooking side dishes when they are on sale so I have a pasta or rice to go with simple roasted chicken. There is no way that I can make everything from scratch on busy weeknights. I save that for my weekend cooking. It turns out that my “back up” meal plan is one of my most requested dinner items by the kids. Kidfresh meals are perfect to keep in the freezer to be able to grab in a pinch when your day just doesn’t go as planned or if you just want a break. The kids started requesting these so often that they have become part of our meal plan. Which is super awesome and means I cook one less night out of the week! These may look like other kids frozen meals, but they aren’t! Each meal is made with up to 1/2 cup of hidden veggies. All Kidfresh meals and sides are made with no artificial flavors or ingredients, no synthetic colors or flavors and non-GMO ingredients and have a short, clean ingredient list. These meals cook up in 4 minutes or less and are also great for including in a thermos for lunch! They’ve even made sure the packaging is free of BPA and the boxes are made from 100% recycled cardboard. Kidfresh meals ensure my kids get a healthy dinner, even when I don’t have time to cook it myself.Find Kidfresh Frozen Meals in the frozen pizza aisle of your local Target store. Look for the door marked Kid Faves! They make it really easy to find! My kids love the Kidfresh Wagon Wheels Mac + Cheese and the Kidfresh Mamma Mia Cheesy Pizza.

DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE GROCERY LIST

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I decided not to put days of the week on the menu planning portion of the printable grocery list. Because our schedule is so varied, I don’t always sit down on a Sunday to plan out the week. Once I return from the store, I stick this up on the side of the fridge with a magnet so I can refer to the meal plan. This reminds me when I need to thaw something or just keep me on track for the week. I hope you enjoy your printable grocery list and menu planner as much as I do!

If you liked this post, you may also like these easy dinner options:

Salami and Pepperoncini Pizza

Tuna and Noodles

Farro and Veggie Argula Salad

Printable created for me by Christa Cordova.