Running Out of Dinner Ideas? Meal Planning Ideas for Families

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June 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Recipe, Social Media

Running out of dinner ideas? Take a look at these Meal Planning Ideas for Families. Over sixty dinner ideas so you can easily go two months (or longer) never repeating the same entree. Personalize and add your own family recipes to the Meal Planning Template for a quick and easy reference.

Meal Planning Ideas

For busy moms, meal planning is a challenge. For me, I lack ideas. We tend to repeat the same dinner ideas over and over creating a boring rut.

This Meal Planning printable provides some unique recipe ideas. For example, when was the last time you made an Italian Calzone? We have an easy recipe from Pillsbury. Or what exactly is chicken biryani? We have another easy Indian recipe to add to your dinner rotation.

By following these meal planning ideas, you hold the ability to have a different dinner recipe, every night, for over two months. Add your own ideas to the list and never repeat a recipe for up to three months!

Meal Planning Ideas for Families

Our meal planning ideas are categorized by Meatless, Chicken, Pasta, Mexican, Italian and Salads. Take a look below at some examples and ideas.

Meatless Meal Ideas

Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Mushroom Risotto
Healthy Three Bean Chili
The Cheesecake Factory Korean Fried Cauliflower (Seen in our Easy Asian Recipes too)

Plenty more options in our Meatless Monday Dinner Ideas.

Chicken Meal Ideas

Visit our Low-Carb Chicken Recipes.

Pasta Dinner Ideas

Mexican Dinner Ideas

Get inspiration from our Cinco De Mayo Recipes and Taco Tuesday Recipes.

Italian Dinner Ideas

Salad Dinner Ideas

Visit our 25 Summer Salads you can make today!

Meal Planning Tips

These meal planning ideas will save money, keep your pantry organized and provide a variety of meals.

Menu planning tips for Families:

Print. Download and print Frugal Coupon Living’s menu planning template PDF.
Sales. Plan your meals around grocery items that are on sale. If beans are at a low price this week, stock up on cans and make a taco soup.
Save. Save money by eating one Meatless meal a week. We enjoy these Meatless Monday Dinners.
Stockpile. Plan dinner based on the stockpile in your pantry, fridge or freezer.
Leftovers. Save leftovers and declare one night a week a leftover night to empty the fridge.

Freeze. Our favorite meal prep idea and tip comes from our Busy Mom Hacks. Chances are if you are here Family Menu Planning, you consider yourself a busy mom.

This Busy Mom Life Hack came to me from a friend and it is great for creating a quick and easy stockpile of freezer meals. I personally have used it and have found it very helpful. One night a week, double or triple a recipe. Take that extra recipe and freeze it. On an incredibly busy night, pull that frozen meal out of the freezer. Bake it as a quick and easy family dinner recipe. If you do this each week, your freezer meals will grow!

Meal Ideas Printable

One last menu planning tip is saving our Meal Planning Ideas for Families. Download this menu planning template and personalize to your family. Keep your family from getting bored of the “same ‘ole dinner.” Try checking off every recipe before beginning again.

Download Your Free Printable

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How to Print at Staples

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples.

Print from the Staples Printing Services Online. Ship or pickup at the store.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final meal planner and show us the recipes you made! Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

We have made a Pinterest recipe board of all of these Meal Planning Ideas for Families.

Need to hop on a meal train? Planning meals for others can be hard. Take a look at these Bake and Take Recipes as well as Meal Train Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Want more tips? Visit our Busy Mom Life Hacks. Pin to Pinterest.

You will love this Busy Mom Printable Binder. As quoted from one user “Oh my goodness! This makes my mama heart so happy. After every page I thought ‘this is perfect, I wish it had xyz’… and then it showed up! ” We including a grocery shopping list, weekly meal planner and more! Pin to Pinterest.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Frugal Fashion Friday Cozy and Comfy Fall Fashion

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June 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Amazon, Amazon Clothes, Facebook, Fashion, Frugal Fashion, Frugal Fashion Friday, Instagram, Nordstrom Clothes, Online Shopping, Pinterest, Social Media

It’s another Frugal Fashion Friday with Cozy and Comfy Fall Fashion. Clothing that is comfy, cute, and trendy for the Autumn Season!

Frugal Fashion Friday Cozy and Comfy Fall Fashion

Pin to Pinterest

It can be hard to look cute when all you want is to be comfy. That is our goal with this cozy and comfy fall fashion piece. Relaxed jeans and an oversized sweater – polish off with adorable earrings and a stand out purse. We love this Chloe knock-off, you will love the price too!

Frugal Fashion Friday Cozy and Comfy Fall Fashion

Pearl Embellished Sweater in Black

Long Sleeved Striped Tee

AE Vintage Mom Jeans

Suede Vince Camuto Booties in Black

Leather Crossbody/Shoulder Bag

Blush Pink Drop Earrings

Tip: Before you shop, take a look at Raise.com. Raise is an awesome site that helps save money when buying supplies by buying people’s gift cards they don’t want at a percent off. It is were I pick up all my Nordstrom gift cards. You can save up to 30% off electronic gift cards and use them as soon as you buy. You get $5 off your first order and they frequently send coupon codes to your email for an extra percent off certain stores. All orders are covered by Raise’s 1 Year Money-Back Guarantee.

Don’t forget last week’s Frugal Fashion Friday Outfit, the Relaxed Weekend Loungewear – Pin It.

Reminder to follow Frugal Coupon Living on Instagram and Pinterest. Find more Frugal Fashion Outfits.

Frugal Fashion Friday Outfits

the Relaxed Boatneck Sweater Outfit – Pin It
the Fur Vest Fall Fashion Outfit – Pin It
the Apple Picking Fall Fashion Outfit – Pin It
the Cranberry and Black Fall Fashion Outfit – Pin It
the Pumpkin Patch Halloween Outfit – Pin It
the Relaxed Halloween Outfit – Pin It
the Southern Tailgating Outfit – Pin It
the Purple Fall Outfit – Pin It
the Fall Tailgating Outfit – Pin It
the Football Tailgating Outfit – Pin It
the Geoometric Oversized Sweater Outfit – Pin It
the Morning Drop-Off Outfit – Pin It
the Disney Outfit for Her – Pin It
the Joanna Gaines Inspired Outfit – Pin It
the Plane Outfit for Travel – Pin It

Easy Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals

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June 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Recipe, Social Media

Rushed nights don’t have to be full of calories. These Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals are freezer friendly dump dinners that are impossible to mess up. Prep ahead, freeze, and cook.

Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals

Have a short window of time on the weekend? Take a look at these make-ahead meals to make the most of your week nights. These Easy Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals can be prepped in a short period of time and saved for busier night. In order to get the most out of your make ahead, freeze and cook later recipes, it’s important to cook in bulk. You can prep many of these recipes at once (in fact, some of these recipes go to landing pages of many recipes) or you can quadruple any of the recipes and split them up in the the freezer so you have four freezer bags of the same recipe.

The most important thing you can do with your freezer bags is, first, use freezer bags. Don’t think I am joking. More often than not I have picked up a regular Ziploc and ruined the prep. Also, label your meal. (These deep freezer labels are great!) What is it? How much does it serve and the date of when you prepped it – so very important. Organize your deep freezer so you can keep track of newest to the oldest.

Kitchen Hack: When preparing freezer meals, I highly recommend a freezer bag holder stand. This cooking gadget is an extra set of hands allowing you to clip the top of your freezer bags into a standing, upright position while you fill them.

Before you begin, don’t forget our Easy Bake and Take Recipes. These recipes and be used for a Girls Night In, or Neighbor Meal Exchange or even a New Baby Recipe idea. Pin to Pinterest.

Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

This slow cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Curry (Sweet Peas and Saffron) is the healthiest comfort food you can find. Plus it’s packed full of protein to keep you full!

Apples? This is a winner. Add this Slow Cooker Pork with Spiced Apples (The Seasoned Mom) to your list of repeats.

Stock your freezer with the easiest, quickest slow cooker meal, Cilantro Lime Chicken (Damn Delicious). Simply drop into the Crock-Pot and you’re set!

Prep 20 freezer meals in 4 hours including this Ginger Peach Chicken (Stockpiling Moms).

This easy Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken (Sweat Pea Chef) is quick to prep, better than takeout, and way healthier for you, too! Perfect for easy weeknight dinner and best of all, it is kid approved!

This freezer Asian Peanut Chicken (Sweet Peas and Saffron) can be assembled ahead and stashed in the freezer until you’re ready to cook it up in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!

Boneless chicken breasts, crushed pineapple, and a secret (easy) sauce make this Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken (Mommy’s Fabulous Finds). See 7 other make ahead slow cooker meals!

Transport yourself to the villas of Tuscany with this tasty Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup (The Magical Slow Cooker).

Freeze and cook these Cool Ranch Shredded Tacos (The Family Freezer) later. Serve on soft tortillas, rice, or lettuce with your favorite taco toppings.

Tangy with a sweet sauce for broccoli or rice, this Slow Cooker Lemon Pesto Chicken (The Magical Slow Cooker) is a freezer friendly family meal.

Red Lentil Sweet Potato Dahl (Catching Seeds) is an easy and healthy freezer meal made in the Crock-pot with just 8 simple ingredients!

This Crockpot Ginger Chicken with Snow Peas (Family Freezer) is an easy and healthy recipe. Assemble and freeze for a busy weeknight.

Beef Stew with Vegetables (About a Mom) is a tried and true favorite for every family!

This Slow Cooker Lemon Sesame Chicken Noodle Soup (Sweet Peas and Saffron) can be assembled ahead and stored in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to cook it up!

We love a good curry recipe. Slow Cooker Cauliflower Chicken Curry (Sweat Pea Chef). This delicious recipe is paleo, gluten-free, and healthy, and delicious!

Also take a look at these Family-friendly Sheet Pan Suppers. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Warming Winter Meals Using the Slow Cooker. Pin to Pinterest.

Common Sense Media Books & Movies for Kids

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June 6, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Instagram, Kids, Parenting, Pinterest, Social Media

Common Sense Media Books & Movies for Kids. Have you wanted to review a book or movie before your child has the opportunity to read/watch it? The best parental resource for movies, games, apps, and TV shows is Common Sense Media. See ratings from other parents, reviews from experts, as well key topics for discussions with your child.

Common Sense Media Books & Movies

As a former fifth grade teacher, I did not need much help when it came to book recommendations. Ten years ago, I was on my game and knew various chapter books, what appropriate/in-appropriate language mgiht be inside, and topic areas the book addressed. That was ten years ago.

My child is officially reading above a fifth grade level. In fact, since fourth grade, she has easily been reading middle and high school level books. For a child who is advanced in reading and a mother who didn’t study books beyond fifth grade, we hit a bend in the road – the road the library shelves.

What is Common Sense Media?

I was introduced to Common Sense Media via Google search. Thanks, Google! I needed to review a book my daughter picked up and see if her above grade level book didn’t have inappropriate content for a ten year old. Common Sense Media provides reviews of children’s media to families promote safe technology and resources for children. It is a great resource to offer aged-based media reviews for families on both books, movies, TV shows and games.

On Common Sense Media, the book had two age levels. One age voted on by parents, one age voted on by kids. They never match up but give you a clear level of the appropriate age range. Each book (movie, game, show) has a 1 to 5 stars for likes so you can see if others liked the novel. There also is a list of need-to-know topics inside the books including messages of violence, romance, language, etc.

How to Review Books with Common Sense Media

Want to review a book before your child? Following these steps, read age-appropriate book reviews for kids written by experts and fellow parents.

Visit CommonSenseMedia.org/
Type in your book name and/or author (for books that have been adapted to TV or film, I recommend you type in the author’s name too to appropriately narrow down your search.)
Find your book in the search (search returns are listed by media – DVD, novel, etc.)
Select your book by clicking on the book image.
See details about the age recommendation and novel description.

Book Recommendations for Kids

Looking for a book recommendation for your child? Easily navigate Common Sense Media by age, entertainment type (books), genre, topics and more.

Visit CommonSenseMedia.org/Book-Reviews
Use the left column to narrow your search results by age, type, genre, etc.
Research a children’s novel by clicking the novel image.
See details about the age recommendation and novel description.

How to Review Movies with Common Sense Media

It is easy to review kids movies and read details about the movie parental rating guide without having to watch them before your child. To review kids movies on Common Sense Media, follow these steps.

Visit CommonSenseMedia.org/
Type in your movie name
Find your movie in the search (search returns are listed by media – DVD, streaming, novel, etc.)
Select your movie by clicking on the movie image.
See details about the age recommendation and description. You can even watch the movie trailer!

Movie Recommendations for Kids

Looking for a movie recommendation for your child? Easily navigate Common Sense Media by age, entertainment type (movie), genre, topics and more.

Visit CommonSenseMedia.org/Movie-Reviews
Use the left column to narrow your search results by age, type, genre, etc.
Research a children’s movie by clicking the movie image.
See details about the age recommendation and movie details.

Give the gift of screen time with our Printable Screen Time Tickets. Pin to Pinterest.

Shopping online? Don’t let the kids see your orders. How to Hide Amazon Orders from the Kids – Pin to Pinterest.

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