1. My husband and I usually enjoy time together each weeknight starting at 8:30 or 9 until we go to bed. We do need to do a better job of scheduling date nights without the kids and this is one of our goals for 2009. We also try to do little chores around the house during the week and squeeze in some errands during the weekdays/nights (during our lunch hours or on the way to/home from work), so we can try to spend much of the weekend time enjoying time with each other and our children.

2. I think the key to staying on top of meals is planning ahead and going to the grocery store once a week. I have also found for us that incorporating variety into the plan is very important, because without the variety, we were often tempted to order something rather than “eat that again.” I also love Let’s Dish because it helps to incorporate this variety and it allows me to spend some time with one of my girlfriends. We go together about every 4 – 6 weeks and split 8 meals. A typical weekly meal plan in our house looks like:

Sunday: I make something rather simple, but that might take a little more time than I have on the weekends and something that will provide leftovers for lunch during the week. (Meatloaf, for example)
Monday: Let’s Dish meal (Shrimp Curry, for example)
Tuesday: Small Group (our group has potluck)
Wednesday: A quick easy meal, usually something from Costco (I like the Vegetable Lasagne and the Egg White Quiches) that basically just needs to be heated in the oven and served with salad.
Thursday: Let’s Dish meal (Carribean Chicken, for example)
Friday: Out (usually something quick and with a coupon, like Moe’s Mexican)
Saturday: Usually we end up eating dinner with family or friends, so it might be out or potluck at someone’s house.

Since our children are still young (preschool), almost all of these meals provide leftovers, which both my husband and I eat for lunch. So we limit buying lunches during the workweek (I’d say at most we buy once a week) and then it’s easier on the budget to eat out on the weekends when we can enjoy the time together. I’ve come to really love recipes that can be cooked in the oven or on the grill, that don’t need a whole lot of attention. I’ve found it difficult, especially during the week, to cook meals on the stovetop that require you to stir or keep adding ingredients at set time intervals. That’s just not very practical with young children.

3. Time for yourself? That can be hard and I can’t say that happens nearly as often as I would like or sometimes need. But meeting my girlfriend at Let’s Dish (we usually do dinner beforehand) is a good outlet. Small group also helps me stay connected with some friends. And when I really need some time, I let my husband know and he’ll watch the kids and I’ll go off by myself for awhile.

May God bless you and your family!

I also wanted to share two very practical suggestions that work for me.

(1) Housework: I listed out all of the household chores that need to be done. I then assigned one chore for each day of the week. This way the house stays relatively clean, and I don’t have to worry about company just dropping in. It also limits my housework to 30 minutes a night.

(2) Cooking: I have had huge success in making a week’s worth of dinners on the weekend. I choose two recipes: one for the Crockpot and one for the stove/oven. I often double or triple the recipes and freeze almost everything. This produces more than enough food for 1 week; after 3 weeks of this routine, I have a variety of meals to choose from in the freezer. This has allowed my family to eat healthier and save money by not picking up last minute items or takeout.

May God bless you, and may He give all of us wisdom to wear those many hats elegantly!