Tag: Practical suggestions

Posted on

Guest Post: Making Meal Planning Easy

Everyone says meal planning saves money, and they’re right, it does. But when I began planning meals, I hated it. Yes, I saved a significant amount of both time and money, but it was such a chore. Planning all sorts of different meals for days, weeks, even a month in advance just seemed so daunting. How do you pull that out of thin air?Well, you don’t. You use the pantry principle.The pantry principle entails making a list of every food item I have or would like to have in my home on a regular basis and shopping only to replace those items. Then, I make meal plans based on what I already have on hand.It’s really quite simple, which is just how I like it. Here’s the run-down of how I do it:
Keep it simple

I focus on incorporating a lot of fresh produce. Rather than eating new and exciting adaptogen supplements and veggies every week, I focus on getting more of the same ones into our diet.

My grocery list has less than ten veggies on it. That may not seem like much, but we eat them fresh and we eat them often. They can also be mixed and matched and cooked several different ways.  And I do make a point to rotate in seasonal items.

Stock your pantry

I look at weekly ads stores put out, but I don’t let them determine what I purchase or what meals I make. If I do see one of my staple items at a great price, I stock up.

Is meal planning really necessary then if I’m just stocking my pantry? Yes. Meal planning saves me from buying too much. (I have the tendency to shop for food as if I’m going to feed a dozen people.) I don’t want anything to go bad and it helps save money.

Make a meal list

Write down all of the meals that you enjoy. Now compare the ingredients for those meals with the foods on your pantry list. 

Can you make most of those meals while sticking with the foods on the list? Are there meals you would love to eat more often, but include ingredients you don’t have? Maybe it’s time to add those ingredients so you can enjoy those foods more often. Lastly, what meals can you tweak using ingredients you have on hand?

Don’t forget breakfast, snacks and lunch. Those usually involve less variety or leftovers for us.

Put in on paper

Now that you have a list of meals you love, take a blank calendar page and fill in the blanks. It’s really that simple. Don’t know where to start? Just start filling in random days. Or fill the meals in alphabetically and start over when you get to the last item. This was one of my biggest obstacles because I put too much thought into it.

Be flexible

Write the meals in with pencil. If you change your mind, it’s ok. Maybe your significant other doesn’t like a suggestion or you forgot one of your favorite meals. The plan isn’t set in stone – it’s just there to relieve some stress and free you to do other things that matter more.

It’s ok to eat the same food on a regular basis if you love it. I give you permission to resist any pressure that says you need to eat 30 different meals each month. You can always change it up completely next month.

Do you have a tip for simplifying meal planning? Please share it!

Nina Nelson is a wellness advocate, mama to four and wife to one. She writes regularly at Shalom Mama, helping moms make natural health simple and sustainable. She loves reading, snuggling and giggling at miniature horses. She just released her new book, Simple Natural Health, a resource that simplifies natural wellness.

Posted on

Whispering Magic

Thinking back to all the times when I was in a classroom or a house full of kids who were all running around and screaming their little heads off I suddenly remembered the one thing that turned yelling into quiet voices. I whispered.

Now you might think that whispering in a room full of screaming kids wouldn’t have much impact, but I’ve found that screaming is the thing that makes the least impact. The kids just thought I was playing along with their game and continued to scream unless I really lost it, which I later felt bad about.

Instead, I did the opposite and got an almost immediate response. First I thought of a secret to tell. Then I went over to the loudest child and tapped her on the shoulder cupping my hands around my mouth as if I were about to whisper. Then I whispered the secret to her. Usually my secret had something to do with a delicious snack waiting for them in the other room or a really fun game or activity I had planned, but inevitably, the whisper was the thing that made the biggest difference.

My daughter has stopped nursing herself to sleep when she’s going to bed at night and instead prefers to cuddle to sleep. But if she’s really squirming and unsettled I simply begin to whisper a story to her and she’s often asleep within minutes. Sometimes she’ll whisper parts of the story back to me, but she ALWAYS stills her body and listens intently. It really doesn’t matter what the story is about, it can even be gibberish, the important thing is that the message I’m sending with my whispering is that it’s time to relax and rest now. And the message comes across loud and clear…or quiet and clear in this case. ?

I’ve even used whispering to stop a child from screeching wildly when she didn’t get what she wanted. Sure there are times when it’s important to allow a child to fully express her upset, but this particular child was using the screeching as a way to get my attention. So I gave her my attention, but I changed the rules of the game. Whenever she screeched, I would walk up to her, whisper in her ear, and then if the screeching continued, I would walk away. She almost always followed behind me whispering about the topic of choice. Because it wasn’t screaming that she most needed in that moment, it was my full attention.

I know it can be difficult to remember this when you’re in a room full of people who are yelling to be heard, but sometimes going against the grain and doing the opposite of what the crowd is doing is the perfect way to shift the dynamic.

My husband and I even use this technique when we’re dining in a very loud restaurant. If I can’t hear him, I just slide into the booth on his side of the table and we snuggle up and talk quietly to one another. Often, the noise level in the whole restaurant will go down. I’m not really sure why it works, but I’m sure glad it does!

So the next time you’re in a room full of loudness, try whispering and see what happens. I would love to hear how it goes. Please share your story with me in the comment box below.

And have a fantastic week, Shelly

Posted on

Eradicate Sibling Rivalry

I’ve had a few parents asking me about how to transform sibling rivalry so today I want to share an idea of something very specific and powerful that you can do to go from tension, fighting, and frustration to peace, love and happiness between siblings.

The bad news is it’s completely up to you to set the tone of your household and to maintain your commitment to having a peaceful and loving home life.  The good news is, your children WILL follow your lead easily and naturally.

I have a whole curriculum on this topic which is under development and it’s way too much to go into today, but I wanted share the tip that has made the  biggest difference for the parents I’ve worked with.

Conspiring with your family to lavish one another with acts of kindness. 

This one activity can completely change the energy of your home from competition and animosity to collaboration and kindness.   So how do you begin?

First, consider each member of your family and come up with a nice thing you and your child or children can do for them.  At first it’s helpful to make a list so that you can keep track of the kind acts you plan to infuse into your home.  After you’ve gotten some momentum going, these kinds of acts will become second nature and will happen spontaneously and often in your home, even without your direct participation.  Your list might look something like this:

  • Attack Dad with hugs, kisses, and “I love you’s” on Sunday morning
  • Make a crown and magic wand for Rachel and then do her bidding for 15min.
  • Tell Jason 3 things we appreciate about him
  • Cheer for Dad when he gets back from his run
  • Let Connor choose his favorite dinner
  • Pretend to be a magic genie and give Claire three wishes
  • Take out the trash for Jason (or do another chore for him)
  • Read a story to Claire
  • Hide a surprise gift for Connor in his closet
  • Pick flowers and arrange them for Mom
  • Play basketball with Connor and Rachel
  • Send a thank you note to Grandma

Once you have a good-sized list of acts of kindness, breathe and relax and remember that your family will help you do these things.  You are not alone and it’s not your job to DO all of these things.  Your work is to come up with some initial ideas and help your whole family implement them.

Next, choose an item on the list and go to one or more of your children to begin to conspire with them to offer this act of kindness.  This might sound something like this:

“Hey Jason, are you busy right now?  I have an idea of something sweet we can do for Claire.  Would you like to help me pamper her?”  If your child isn’t interested, that’s OK, just go to another family member and ask.

You may want to begin by lavishing the child who is in the most distress or who exhibits the most animosity toward others.  Remember that picking fights or lashing out is an indicator that your child is needing something.  So, by offering your love, kindness, and generosity to the child who seems to deserve it least, you’re doing a couple of things.

First, you’re modeling for your whole family how you’re committed to treating one another, no matter what THEY DO.  You are lavishing your child with love and affection for being his wonderful self even after he has lashed out at his sister because you know that he is innately good and kind, he has just temporarily lost his ability to show it.

Second, you’re nurturing a person who clearly needs your love and attention,  and you’re teaching your whole family to see unkind outbursts as a signal of need, rather than something to be punished for or retaliated against.

This sets up a positive cycle in your home in which negativity and hurtfulness are quickly bombarded with loving attention.  And amazingly, giving love to your reactive child can actually eradicate the underlying unmet needs and allow the child to regain his own sense of kindness and generosity.

I’m curious, have you ever tried anything like this before?  How did it go?  Do you have questions or concerns about implementing this?  Please leave me a comment below.

And have a fantastic day, Shelly

Posted on

Video: Reduce Tantrums With This Tip

Here’s one last video with content from my new eBook “Cracking the Kid Code: Discovering the secret to having a happy child, family and home.”  This time I wanted to share one of the most important pieces of information that parents often forget.  That children really do want to do it themselves!

What are your children excited about doing all by themselves right now?  Tell me now!

Posted on

Video: The “Find it” Game

Here’s a great game you can play virtually anytime you’re home and busy with a task.  Your kids will love it and feel connected to you, even as you continue to cook dinner.

What other ways could you play this game?  Can you see how it can help kids learn colors, shapes, locations of things in your home, sizes, and so much more?!  I would love to hear how you would modify this game to best fit your child’s interests.  Please leave me a comment!

Proudly powered by WordPress