I wrote this one a few months ago, but haven't found quite the right time to post it. Since I need to fill up 12 days worth of posts for my 12 days of Christmas blogging, I figure now is as good a time as any. . .and I've got such a wonderful companion, I just can't keep it to myself for too long :)
 |
| I love this picture of us. . .even though it's 2 years old . . .Robby and I need more pictures together! |
I want to start a new tradition of posting from time to time what I love about Robby, so I can always remember and so that our children can learn from the marriage pro! It's incredible to me--I'm the one who got a degree in Marriage and Family Studies, but he's the one who "gets it" in terms of how to have a happy marriage and I learn from him every day. The things I love may not be mind-blowing, as they are usually just small acts of service or kind words, but they mean the world to me and, in my opinion, make for an extraordinary marriage! Anyway, without further adieu:
I struggle with meal planning off and on. So, instead of well-orchestrated dinners, too often we have pancakes, grilled cheese, or a pre-made Costco meal. Sometimes I can make it look like I've put some work into it by pulling out a freezer meal that I've previously made and popping that into the oven or slow cooker . . .but even those have started to dwindle. This past week I made a goal of doing meal plans. I don't know why I've been struggling with it so much! It's not like it's hard! I just print off a menu planner. . .
Like this one
There are gazillions of menu planners on the web. This one is my favorite because I don't write down the ingredients that I already have, just the ones I need and it becomes a shopping list--so convenient! Also, instead of writing down the starch that goes with the dinner, I use that spot to write which website or cookbook I got the recipe from, so I can find it again when I need it!
So this should be easy right?! But like many other things, I tend to make a mountain out of a mole hill and make things seem harder/ more time consuming than they really are, and I don't do it. Well, I planned my meals last week! Hooray! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was super easy from A to Z, after all--I do have to figure out how to make dinner while having to entertain two cute/intense little girls, but it worked out!
So now that you have the background, here is how the conversation with my husband went:
Me: So, I'm really proud of myself!
Robby: Ya?! How so?
Me: I made a goal to do better at meal planning and I did it! I've felt silly having so many lame meals lately! But this week I made chicken and sausage stroganoff, breakfast casserole, chicken pot pie, and chicken enchiladas!
Robby: Good job! The chicken pot pie was so good! And the enchiladas were amazing! . . .But those seemed like pretty intense meals to prepare. To be honest, the difference between enchiladas and Costco lentils on rice is so little. It's like. . .
Me: The 80/20 rule?
Robby: Ya!
*Aside: The 80/20 rule is the idea that you do 20% of the work for 80% of the quality, so sometimes it just makes sense to stop there. Because otherwise, you have to put in another 80% worth of time/effort, just to increase your results a meager 20%. Robby's philosophy is--why sacrifice balance and sanity when 80% is still a good score?
Robby: Really, I'd rather we just had baked potatoes for dinner if it meant you could just get a nap in.
You can bet he got a hug, a kiss, and an "awww" for that one! He is always so considerate of me and looks for ways to help ease my load. And it's so nice to know that he sincerely cares about me!
If you want another story about how wonderful it has been to be married to this guy, check out this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment