slow down...and plan?

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a fabulous weekend and got to relax a little.  Does anyone else feel like they usually spend at least half of their weekend getting ready and planning for the next week?  Even though the weekend is meant to slow down, inevitably the week goes much smoother with a little weekend planning and work.  This weekend, I tried to be extra aware of slowing down but also planning ahead enough to survive the week.  Here is the balance I tried to strike...

1. Slowed down by catching up on my BIG pile of magazines.  (Really I only made it to Southern Living, but I am diligently working through the pile- fear not!)  I am like a kid at Christmas when the new Southern Living comes every month, and you can certainly expect some new tips, recipes, and other fun things from this issue in the coming weeks...

2. Planned ahead with grocery shopping and meal planning.  Even though we live VERY close to the grocery store, I find that weeknights are usually easiest if I have done a little planning during the weekend.  Ideally, I will plan well enough to make one big trip to the store on Sunday afternoon and then not have to go back again...unless we run out of ice cream.  This is a great trick to try, but it does require some advance planning.  Make sure to plan your meals using the freshest ingredients early in the week (things like seafood or delicate veggies) and your other ingredients later in the week (like sweet potatoes and pastas.)  It also helps to have a cute meal planner...

from livecrafteat.com

3. Slowed down with Day Light Savings time!  Isn't it glorious to sleep that extra hour when you "fall back!"

4. Planed ahead with exam prep.  For all you other law students out there- don't follow my example and start studying yet- it is WAAAAY to early.  I am just booked on every other weekend until exams with weddings, Thanksgiving, and visitors.

What do you do to slow down or plan ahead?

xo,