Today’s Friday Favorites are such game-changers at our house that I even created a YouTube video to share more firsthand information about today’s topic! I’ll include the link to that at the bottom of this post.

Well, to start us off with a bang, I’m just going to bottom-line it: I’ve never really planned my meals ahead of time. I confess that prior to this year, I would head to the fridge or freezer, see what was there, and make my old standby meals…again. Then I’d head to the grocery store and pick up the same old things…again. And if I didn’t open the freezer early enough in the day to thaw some meat—which I had no idea what I was going to make out of it anyhow—we’d end up ordering in, going out, or having a meal that needed several rounds of “grace” prayed over it before we began eating.

In December of this past year, that changed. Joe and I chose our word for the coming year, purpose (you can read more about that here), and we determined to live 2021 on purpose, with purpose, for a purpose—in all areas of our lives. We have family members who are faithful at meal planning, and I would hear them talk about it. It didn’t take me long to acknowledge that this was an area that greatly lacked purpose in our home.

I went online to look up meal planners or meal-planning tools, and I ran across a meal-planning book by a lady named Erin from a website titled, of all things, Simple Purposeful Living. The proverbial handwriting on the wall said, “Duh,” and I ordered one…sight unseen. To encourage the dear young mama who came up with this book, I followed her on Instagram. You’re going to want to do that too! She has encouraged me many times over the last month. And I’ve never met her. And, no, I’m not making any commission, affiliate fees, or anything for telling you about this book.

There is so much to share with you that I believe would help your home function more smoothly and grant you space in your day for rest, peace, and spiritual and emotional refreshment. Trust me, though. This book, as simple as it truly is, has transformed our world.

So here’s how it looks in action at the Henderson house:

On Saturday morning, I plan what we will have for dinner (our “major” meal each day) for each night the following week. Additionally, because I hate to have too many “tasks” early in the morning—and thinking about what to eat right away falls into that category for me—I write out our breakfast menus for the week. (In fact, it’s a well-known fact that I set the table the night before, so that it’s one thing already “accomplished” when I wake up!) Then, on the perforated Grocery List portion of the page, I write any items I need to purchase to make each of those meals happen. I spend literally five minutes checking my cupboards, the pantry, the fridge, and the freezer to see if I have those items on hand or if I will need to purchase them, and my shopping list is basically complete (minus non-food household supplies we may need to add as well). Then I place my online order or head to the store, and that, my friends, is something I love to have accomplished and over with for the week.

On Saturday night, I place the meal planning book, open to the new week’s meal plan, on an easel that I set in the corner of my kitchen counter. It stays open all week, and I can’t tell you the amount of anxiousness, regret, feelings of not being well prepared, etc., that this little book has helped to eliminate from our home.

The book costs about $25.00-ish, which comes out to about 50 cents a week for a peace of mind that is worth boatloads more! Seriously…go git ya one! Then let me know how it’s working for you. I can’t wait to hear how it helps simplify your racing mind and busy schedule when it comes to a task that otherwise has the potential to consume your free hours! Let’s just say I didn’t know how much help I needed in this area until I realized how good things could be!

Okay…I need to stop, but I simply have to share this one quick hack with you first. You know by now that we entertain…a lot…and anything I can do to declutter my fridge and save time in the moments when I don’t have extra time are things worth doing. This is one of those things: canning jars.

Glass canning jars not only save space in the fridge because of their vertical, uniform shape, but I have found them to keep my food fresh much longer than most storage containers I have. I’m not making promises, but I’m telling you that at the Henderson house, I can keep washed-and-dried grapes in a glass quart jar for up to four weeks…and they still taste fresh.

Below is the link to my YouTube video so that you can learn more about the canning-jar storage hack. It’s my new favorite thing. I’m also including a link to the Simple Purposeful Living Meal Planner (again, I’m not earning a penny or anything for this).

My final favorite thing for this week is that Joe and I are memorizing verses together that have to do with the topic of purpose. I’m loving these moments of working toward a common goal of memorization so that we can live on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose!

I cry out to God most high, to God who fulfills His purpose for me (Psalm 57:2, ESV).

To learn more about the Simple Purposeful Living Meal Planner and to order your copy, click here.

To watch the corresponding video on our YouTube channel, click here.