UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.
Congrats to Melissa macpaquette@… I will email you today to get your information!
I’ve been talking about meal planning a lot lately — and for good reason. The back-to-school and fall months are some of the busiest months in our house. Plus, with my crazy schedule, the addition of two new international students and a baby on the way, it is absolutely essential that I have our meals planned out ahead of time to resist impulse fast food and frozen pizza meals every night of the week!
Our new meal planning method is working wonderfully and has really helped me to simplify the entire process. Another important tool I’ve been using is a new meal planning service — Oh!Dinner.
Oh!Dinner was started by two young moms who were also looking to simplify and organize their homes, their lives, their kitchens, and their meal planning. They somehow managed to “do it all” and get food on the table every night — and now they have a great meal-planning website and blog and can help you to “do it all” too!
How it Works:
Oh!Dinner is one of the simplest meal planning systems I’ve ever seen {which is why I’m so happy to share it with you today!} Just follow this quick, 3-step process…
1. Log into your account and browse through their list of weekly recipes.
2. Choose the meals you want to eat by checking the box on the right.
3. Once you’ve chosen your meals, simply print/email the grocery list and recipes.
This is what it looks like once I log into my account — I just click on “Meal Plan” to create that weeks menu.
There are always 10 different recipe options to choose from so you can pick the ones your family will like best. And once you choose your recipes, you can print them off with just a click of your mouse. You can also print off a shopping list or email it to yourself {or your phone!}
Sounds simple enough… doesn’t it!
The Giveaway:
One lucky reader will win a FULL year Oh!Dinner meal planning membership!
Enter to Win:
Simply leave a comment with your best meal planning advice… OR with the thing that frustrates you the most about meal planning.
Sign Up:
Learn more about how Oh!Dinner works or sign up today and get two weeks FREE!
This contest is open until Wenesday, September 21, 2011, at 10:00 pm EST. ONE winner will be selected at random and announced later that week. Please read my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you might have. I received a complimentary membership for review, however all opinions are my own!
Taletha says
Posted to FB 🙂
The most frustrating thing about trying to meal plan is figuring out meals that are healthy and quick to make, as well as easy on the checkbook. I try to look at the adds for the grocery stores and then look at my recipe book and plan that way but it can get way too frustrating sometimes.
Megan says
I feel like I cook the same meals every week this will help me have more variety
Sarah says
Posted to FB!!
Sarah says
I hate shopping the ads and then still not know what I am going to fix for the week!
Laura says
My biggest frustration is going to the store without a plan and then inevitably not getting everything I need for dinner that night!
robin says
The biggest frustration I have is finding out I’m missing an ingredient and its time to prepare the meal…poor planning! Also, trying to prepare meals that don’t take too long to prepare after a long day at work and school for the kids.
J Chetlain says
Posted to FB!
J Chetlain says
I am so exhausted by 4:00, that my brain shuts down and I get too grumpy to plan a meal. My daughter is older and my husband easy, but I’d like to be more of a meal planner and shopper.
Vikki says
My biggest frustration is planning the meals, making the shopping list, and then the store not having an ingredient on my list. As the gal above said, I’m not great at improvising either. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
kim says
I need help organizing a dinner menu for the week, we also are very busy with sports, volunteering with the school. We also have different work schedules
kim says
I believe with your help I can achieve my goals to be more organized, I also cut coupons to help with meal planning but that does not always work, I always needed some thing I don’t have & I find myself running to the store to get what I need before I can began to prepare dinner.
kim says
I posted on my facebook page.
Kim Bullock says
We are a family of 4 my biggest struggle planning meals is no one likes the same thing,& also we all work different hours & trying to plan meals ahead is impossible. I need help planning & doing the grocery list every week.
Polly says
posted to FB
Polly says
My biggest frustration with most meal planning sites and books is that my family won’t eat most of the stuff. I love trying new recipes but the family seems to like the old (and not necessarily healthy) standards!
Roxanna says
One Frustration is finding something that both hubby and I will like. He has different taste than I do.
Rachel V. says
I try to plan our meals based on the sales for the week and what I already have that needs to get used up. i would like to branch out and try new recipes, it seems we eat the same 8-10meals.
Laurie says
My biggest frustration is I usually find a recipe then realize I am missing one necessary component. Then I am left with nothing for dinner because I’m not good at improvising.
Krissy says
My biggest meal issue is finding something my picky eater kids will eat! I get so tired of making a meal that no one eats then they are begging for snacks 20 minutes later (they don’t get them, but its still annoying!)
Megan Camp says
Since I coupon shop, I usually start with my deep freezer and fridge to see what ingredients either need to be used up or what meals I can come up with based on ingredients I have on hand. I can often plan quite a few meals and only need to buy just a few items to create my meals. I’d love to get better and pre-planning though because as much as I try to meal plan, I often just wing it and dinner ends up on the table late.
Melissa P. says
I have tried to establish a meal plan for my family of five but can not seem to get it together. Falling back on old and not so healthy favorites is where I’m at and I really need some help. Thank you!
Chris says
In theory, meal planning sounds good, and I do it to a small degree, but with my small family so many places at different times of the day (commuting college son), it is hard and I can never do it right.
Jennifer says
Also posted to Facebook
Jennifer says
One of my greatest frustrations is having a meal planned and having family members veto it. I’m beginning to try theme night meal plans–grill, pasta, Mexican, soup/salad/sandwich, etc.
Laurel says
My best meal plan is to come up with things early in the week that are guaranteed to have leftovers for later in the week when a hectic evening is sure to arise. Maybe straight up leftovers, maybe leftovers turned into something slightly different. My biggest frustration is moving beyond our tried and true favorites.
Meghan says
I always end up with the same meals!! Sounds like a wonderful website! 🙂
Bekah says
My biggest struggle in meal planning is not getting into a “dinner rut” and also choosing new meals that will appeal to the whole family, not just me!
Kim says
This looks great. I could really use a new meal plan. I have tried and then life and kids just gets too busy. This looks like it could really work!!!
Monique Shimata says
Posted on Facebook
Monique Shimata says
I get frustrated by trying to not only find a good rotation for our meals (so we are not having the same things over and over), but also trying to organize meals that utilize similar ingredients so that I am not buying a million different ingredients each week.
Melanie says
I tend to put off plannning until the last minute, and then eat the SAME things… 🙁 Thank you for the opportunity!
kristen says
I just never seem to get around to doing it regularly.
Lindsay says
As hard as we try to plan our meals, it never seems to work for us. Something always comes up, like we get home from work late or end up being out of one of the ingredients. We try to be organized, but it just does not come naturally to us.
Laura says
I love to meal plan and it would be so nice to have it organized so easily! I would love it!