Home Organization: Magnetic Meal Planning Board

Happy Remembrance Day!!

I am at home SO sick today, Have come down with a horrible cold. So, I'm sitting bed thinking that it would be a good time to blog...hahaha...since I have the time.

A number of you have been asking for me to blog about the Magnetic Menu Board I made this Summer. I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk about it so here it is:

I LOVE my magnetic board....It is SO helpful! I keep it in the kitchen. I don't meal plan for the whole month that gets a bit too crazy, I just do it week by week and place the magnets on. This was the one I did for September. 

This idea totally was NOT mine, I found this on pinterest. You can find it there and do the exact same thing, all the FREE printables are there. 

Here are the step by step directions on I made it:

1. Go on Pinterest and look up "Magnetic Menu Board" click on it and go to the site "The homes I have made" blog. **

2. Print the FREE printables (as above) 

3. Get the magnet sheets (I got mine at Dollarama for a $1 each) 

4. Cut out all the printables and stick them to the magnet sheets, then cut them out again with the magnetic backings....this is what takes a long time. I worked at it slowly over a couple of weeks. 

5. Buy the plastic binder these have page protectors already built in as you can see below. I got mine a yoyoya it's a big dollar store in Chinatown. 

6. Cut out the spine printables and stick them on. 

7. Organize your recipes according to the spine labels and make a magnet for each one. 

8. Organize your magnets in a bead box, some magnets with recipe names on and some without so you can write new ones too. (see picture below for example) I got this at the same dollar store as the binders.

9. Get a Magnetic Calendar board. (They have them all over, Walmart, Zellers, I've even seen them in Dollar Stores...I got mine at Staples for $15) 

**Once you are on Pinterest and you go to this lovely lady's blog..."The homes I have made" she gives lots of details on how to make it as well and goes more in depth. 

Here are the pics as mentioned above in the step by step directions:

Menu Magnets box: In here I have all the magnets some written on and some not, because I like trying new things, whiteboard pen, and baggie with extra cut outs that are not on magnet if I need to make more. 

Example of them being written on. 

This is a picture the binders that got from the big dollar store in Chinatown it is right inside International Village where the Starbucks is. They were a dollar each. 

This was a very cost effective project. Here is the breakdown of what I paid for this...I love saving money. 

6 folders (page protectors included) - $6.00 

Magnetic Calendar board (came with a dry erase pen) - $15.00 

Magnet Sheets - $10.00 

Organizational box - $3.00 

Printables - FREE 

Total for this project: $34.00 

Happy Menu Board Making...If you have any questions about it feel free to message me!! :) 

Love

Ashley 

In the air theres a feeling of.....CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas........is coming!!

I'm getting excited because we are getting ready for Christmas! Bus Ministry Banquet planning, decorating, Christmas shopping.....

But, I want to talk about Christmas Shopping, here are some of the things that I do to plan for Christmas shopping, it is always a stressful thing, so I thought I'd share some of the tips/tricks that I use for Christmas shopping...

1. Go to the states!! The prices there are SO much cheaper and reduces tons of stress financially!

2. Stay in a hotel while you are in the states!! It is so nice after shopping for hours to come back, go in the hot tub and relax in your hotel room. We stay at the Holiday Inn Express they have the BEST prices (under $70 a night during november when we go), and it includes a buffet breakfast every morning, which is another thing we don't have to worry about. Also, then you are not rushing to get back through the border line ups, you have 2 days to shop and its not such a rush.

3. Plan before you go!! I use these great FREE printables that I got from Pinterest!! This step is SO important...I save so much time using these "worksheets" and having a plan. Before I would just wonder around not knowing what to get and it would waste tons of time. Some people I don't know and I wait to see what I can get when I'm down there as they have such great deals. Having the checklist helps though, to keep you on track. For those people I just write "see what they have".
Here are the links to the printables:


http://printables.yourway.net/holiday-printables/christmas-shopping-list/

http://printables.yourway.net/holiday-printables/christmas-order-tracking/

http://printables.yourway.net/holiday-printables/christmas-budget-worksheet/

http://www.ellinee.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/giftplanner.pdf

These ones are not totally geared towards shopping, but....I LOVE them and use them all the time:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/79252083/hhc2012blank.pdf

http://christmasplanner.com/free-printable-clean-mama-holiday-shortcuts-planner

4. Go to a gift wrapping centre!! I LOVE these! I go to the one at Guildford Mall after I'm home. Take your gifts for wrapping to the centre and they will wrap them all for you. It saves tons of time for you, not having to wrap everything AND it helps with charity all the money they make go to the charity that they are helping that year. Helps you and helps others...so great!!

5. Relax and have fun!! Think about the people you are buying for and how you can bless them. Take breaks, have Starbucks and go for lunch (this one is important...you need energy).

Happy Shopping Everyone!!

I would like to hear about what you do for your Christmas shopping too? What helps you?

<3 Ashley