Life gets busy and if you’re searching for meal prep tips for busy people, you’re definitely not alone. One of the most common things I hear is this: “I want to eat better… but I just don’t know what to cook when time is tight.”
When your to-do list feels endless and you finally open the fridge at the end of a long day, decision fatigue kicks in fast. Cooking a proper meal can feel overwhelming, especially when energy is low and evenings are rushed.
Let’s make it easier.
Meet Mary. She’s a busy mum juggling two jobs, school runs and after-school clubs across town. By the time she gets home, it’s dark, cold and she just wants something warm and comforting. Cooking from scratch feels overwhelming, so she reaches for takeaway menus, toast, cereal… or sometimes nothing at all.
If this feels a little too relatable, you’re not alone. And the good news? With a few simple habits, feeding yourself and your family can feel easier, calmer and far less stressful.
Here are my go-to tips for eating well when time feels tight.
Meal Prep Tip 1 : Plan Your Weekly Menu First
Before I even write my shopping list, I create a simple weekly menu. Nothing fancy, just a rough plan of dinners for the week ahead.
This helps in three big ways:
You know what you’re eating (no last-minute panic)
Shopping becomes quicker and cheaper
The dreaded “What’s for supper?” question disappears
Meal Prep Tip 2 : Write a Purposeful Shopping List
Once your menu is set, your shopping list becomes purposeful.
It helps you avoid those “just popping in for one thing” trips that always end with three extra items and a bigger food bill. Shopping with a plan saves time, money and mental energy and makes healthy choices easier. These meal prep tips are simple, realistic and designed to fit into busy, everyday life, not add more pressure.
Meal Prep Tip 3 : Batch Cook to Save Time
One of my favourite habits is batch cooking. I often use a quiet Saturday afternoon to get ahead for the week (or even the month).
Cooking in bulk means:
You always have meals ready for busy nights
You’re less tempted by takeaways
Unexpected guests become stress-free
You save time during the week
Future-you will always thank past-you for this one. One of the reasons I love sharing meal prep tips is because they help remove daily stress around food and bring more calm into the home.
Meal Prep Tip 4 : Use a Slow Cooker for Easy Dinners
At this time of year especially, my slow cooker is a lifesaver.
You can throw ingredients in before work, head out the door, and come home to a house that smells like comfort and warmth. Add rice, potatoes or veggies and dinner is done.
Simple. Nourishing. No stress.
Meal Prep Tip 5 : Make Soup Your Go-To Meal
Soup is one of the easiest, most versatile meals you can make, especially when life feels hectic.
It’s perfect for lunches, quick dinners, freezer storage and using up leftover vegetables. Whether you use a soup maker or a good old pot and blender like me, it’s a brilliant way to eat well with minimal effort.
Why Meal Prep Helps Busy People Create Calmer Evenings
Spending a little time preparing ahead can completely transform your evenings.
A stocked freezer. Less decision fatigue. More family time. More space to relax.
And most importantly, less stress around food. These meal prep tips work because they reduce decision fatigue, save time and create more breathing space at the end of the day.
Enjoy more “me time” by doing more things you love.
If you try any of these tips this week, I’d love to know how you get on. Maybe it’s reminded you of habits you’d forgotten… or helped you create new ones that support your lifestyle. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen, I hope these meal preptips help you feel more supported and organised this week. Leave me a comment or join our conversation on Instagram.
Creating a routine each morning that works for you, which in turn helps you boost your productivity, makes all the difference to your day.
However, it is tempting to stay under the duvet as the mornings are that much darker! The consequences of tapping that snooze button once or maybe three times, are that an already busy hour becomes even more chaotic.
How have your mornings been going this week..?
Let’s start slow before we make any adjustments..
What does your routine look like at the moment?
How would you like it to look in comparison?
Grab a cuppa and 5 minutes to scribble anything that comes into your mind in your journal.
It helps to have a clear vison of the now and the wish..
I know it sounds crazy but writing it down brings a clearer idea of what you are striving to achieve.
Do you wake up every morning full of vigour, ready to tackle the day with all of your energy, youthfulness and vitality?
No? Well, if it helps, you’re not alone. Promise!
Many of us virtually sleepwalk through the morning in a serious mental and physical fog, desperately plying ourselves with coffee in an attempt to wake up!
If this sounds like you, you might think you’re just not a morning person, and there’s nothing you can do about it. This isn’t the case.
While it’s true we all have varying predispositions to being either a “night owl” or a “morning person” it is possible to boost your morning energy, with a few simple strategies.
Going to a room that’s inviting and calm to sleep really does have a positive impact on a productive day.
Get A Good Nights Sleep.
Obvious I know, a good nights sleep increases productivity to function at our best and most of us need around 8 hours of sleep each night. If this sounds too good to be true, here are a few tips:
Establish a routine.
What does your routine look like at the moment?
Go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time each day.
Your body loves routine, and sleeping similar hours each day helps adjust your circadian rhythms, so that you naturally fall asleep and wake up refreshed.
Vigorous exercise or mentally stressful activities in the last hour or two before bedtime, can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
Chill out and relax before you go to bed. Watching Squid Game in bed isn’t the answer to relaxed sleeping, sorry!
The body responds to light and it is much easier to sleep in a completely dark room. Light can actually interfere with the body’s production of melatonin, a neurotransmitter which helps us sleep. Keep electronics and low lighting from alarm clocks to a minimum, especially your mobile phone. In an ideal world, it should be left outside your bedroom.
Start your morning right with a healthy, feel good breakfast.
Eat A Healthy Breakfast.
One of the main causes of low energy in the morning is low blood sugar due to the overnight fast and in addition to skipping breakfast.
We know this don’t we but eating a balanced breakfast, with a source of protein, whole grain carbohydrates, and fruits or vegetables prevents that mid morning slump and reaching for the biscuit barrell.
Avoiding sugary, highly processed carbs each morning, which trigger rapid peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels, means that those dips in energy will be gone and your productivity on point!
Avoid Excessive Caffeine And Alcohol.
Many of us feel dependent on the caffeine in tea or coffee, to get us through the morning. It does indeed provide a temporary boost, although this boost isn’t always as effective as you’d first think. Excessive caffeine can impair your ability to relax and it can interfere with your usual sleep patterns too. Alcohol on the other hand, tends to disturb your sleep cycle, leading to frequent waking, a poor night’s sleep overall and maybe even adding to that foggy head in the morning!
I’ve been loving these non alcoholic drinks which I’ve been switching for a glass of fizz – they are super yummy and low in sugar too.
Exercise In The Morning
One of the best ways to boost your morning energy, and ability to concentrate, is to get some exercise first thing in the morning. It was one of the many reasons I ran my fitness camps in the mornings at 6am and 9am.
Exercise helps improve your circulation, strength and flexibility, as well as your mood.
Exercising before work also gives you more energy on the job, while boosting your creativity.
As an added bonus, many studies have shown that people who exercise in the morning are the most consistent at staying with their exercise plan.
Waiting to exercise in the afternoon or evening, problems or scheduling conflicts often occur and prevent you from getting your workout in. (I know I’m guilty of this!)
Going for a morning walk, jog, swim session, or working out in your own home ensures that no matter what else happens that day, you’ve already had a chance to exercise. No excuses, hehe!
On a side note if my workout gear is all ready to go, prepped the night before, there is another little nudge to getting it done! Especially if you have arrange to workout with a friend.
Start your morning at the day ready to be productive
Creating A Morning Ritual Helps With Productivity
Try getting into the habit of starting your day with a relaxing ritual. Bare with me, especially if your morning this morning started with the alarm not going off and everyone charging out of the door clutching shoes and toast..!
Start slow but aim high – little by little introduce the above tips and it’ll happen! Promise!
I love to set my alarm that little bit earlier and head out for a walk in the Devon lanes, meditate or stretch. I know that might sound a little strange but I am SO much more productive for doing so.
Taking time out to simply be thankful for the day ahead, listening to uplifting music will help you to feel more in control of your day and set you up to deal with whatever life throws at you.
Remember, dreary, sleepy, foggy mornings don’t have to be the norm… With a little planning and preparation, you can start your day full of energy, enthusiasm and vitality!
Let’s make those little adjustments to a calmer and more efficient life without adding more!
Welcome to this blog, based on my experiences that I hope you’ll find useful if you are preparing for your child to leave home for University for the first time. I’ve compiled a list of what we did to prepare and what we packed in the hope it helps you support your fresher and family.
Firstly, congratulations! I really think we as parents need to stop, breathe and give ourselves a pat on the back of getting this far in parenthood. Yay! I hope that by sharing my experiences of navigating this emotional rollercoaster of a time, it”ll help you feel that you’re not only not on your own but it will help you save more and spend less.
It’s hard to believe that this time last year we were through with exams, both our teens had completed GCSE’s and A levels earlier in the summer, and we were in limbo waiting for results…
Our eldest had applied to University and is the first to leave home. In all honesty, I wasn’t ready.. I’m not sure if it’s because of lockdown and all the usual landmarks of school prom, leavers assemblies and more, hadn’t happened. It seemed the lead up to this time arrived so darn quickly..
This time reminds me very much of how it was when we were expecting our girl to arrive into the world – no idea what to expect as new parents, what we would really need, (the list appeared endless for such a teeny human!) and also how we would feel as a couple becoming a family.
Except this time was so very different, we were getting ready for our 18 year old to fly out into the big wide world and my heart was breaking. Of course I wouldn’t dampen her excited spirits but we’re close and it was so very odd, knowing our lives would be changed..
“Slipping through my fingers all the time I try to capture every minute The feeling in it Slipping through my fingers all the time”
Lyrics from Slipping Through My Fingers, Abba
There seemed SO much and yet so little information out there about our young adults leaving home. This period of time reminded me of when we were expecting our second child. I was keen each of our little family equally involved in the new arrival. Except this time we were preparing for a sibling to leave home, not arrive for the first time. We are extremely lucky, our children are very close. I knew my sons life would also change, they aren’t just as siblings, they are friends. Life would be different for all of us in our little household.
What did I do? I got list writing and preparing of course! It’s what I do!
I’ve compiled a list of what we packed and what we did to prepare in the hope it helps you support your fresher and family.
Kitchen Items
The temptation is to go overboard and get one of everything you own in your home kitchen. The truth is, you really don’t need to.
Here’s what we bought and has proved very useful – our girl used everything!
Tin opener
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Kitchen Tongs
Kitchen Scissors
Cheese grater
Vegetable peeler
Saucepan (1 large, 1 small)
Frying pan
2 plates, 2 bowls 2 mugs
Resealable freezer bags
Sealing clips of different sizes for bags of pasta etc.
Bedroom Items
Similar to the kitchen items, I’d advise to pack what you know you will need and anything else you can order via Amazon or use as an excuse to visit! Remember even though they have gone off to University, shops exist and they will be fine!
Prepare with an aim to make the room as homely as possible. My girl and I went to buy the dovet and covers together, it was fun deciding on a new colour scheme from her room at home. I added a couple of items which I’ll share in my next blog Little Mission ~ Helping Your Fresher Settle Into their new Life
Cushions, throws, rugs, plants and photographs all add an instant homely feel. Check University halls individual guidelines as most won’t allow items such as kettles and candles.
Storage solutions are key for Uni rooms and this is where your trusty home furnishing stores such as Ikea, Homebase, Dunelm etc come in. Baskets and under bed storage bags are invaluable.
We packed smart as much as we could.
The dovet, pillows, pillow cases, towels etc we vacum packed into storage bag which saved a huge amount of space in the car. When in the room, these bags
A top tip we were given was to simply lift the clothes out of the wardrobe on their hangers put a dustbin bag over the hangers to form a temporary cover. When you arrive, you can simply hook them straight into the hanging space!
By planning ahead and spreading the costs, over what is an extremely expensive time, I hope you will have saved a little money too. Remember facebook marketplace and many of the homestores I mentioned earlier will have offers on for Univeristy students so keep a look out.
On that note, we found that shopping earlier, especially in Ikea, was key. (not an ad at all!) The store proves very popular at this time of year so don’t leave everything to the last minute.
I really hope this has helped take away a little of the overwhelm for you and your new University student in the preparation for them flying the nest. It’s an emotional roller coaster of a time but ride the wave in the knowledge you’ve supported your little one to this stage and you aren’t alone.
Stay in touch for more in this series including helping your fresher settling into their new life and how to manage moving in day!
Let me know in the comments if this helped and how you’re feeling.
Christmas is a special time of year for many. With 10 weeks to go, let me help you create a special, yet stressfree Christmas.
Every year we are determined not to become overwhelmed with the stress and worry. In this weeks blog; I’m sharing some of the things I do to try and keep Christmas stressfree and to a minimum when it come to preparation. Using these thoughts and ideas will mean that come Christmas, you’ll feel calm and ready to enjoy the celebrations.
What can you do now to limit the overwhelm that undoubtedly comes with the festivities?
Let’s be honest, most guest rooms can double up as a dumping ground especially when you are not expecting guests! Since an emabrrassing episode several years ago, we had a dinner party one year and one couple couldn’t get a taxi home.
“Stay!” we said, “no problem “we said! Then I remembered that the guest room was “almost guest room ready” except the bed was covered in clothes ready for the charity shop! I still cringe when I think about it now! Let’s but that episode to bed so to speak! I’ll add it wasn’t Christmas but it’s always good to be prepared!
Love this idea for a special touch instead of flowers for your guest room Christmas Table Top Tree
A guest room is a relaxing place for your guests not just to sleep but to enjoy space away from the household to relax and chill.
For the ultimate stressfree Christmas for your guests; include a basket of goodies that you know they’ll enjoy. I love to add something from Hotel Chocolate, a candle and a magazine or two.
A throw on the bed is always a good idea. How beautiful is this Dusty Pink Linen Bed Throw from Chalk Pink Linen Company?
In the bathroom include some toiletries, fluffy towels
Fresh flowers are always a nice touch so put a note in your diary to organise these for a few days before they arrive. Alternatively cut some from your garden and add a little festive sparkle.
I don’t mean get the decorations out right now but packing them away earlier this year seems like a life time ago. Can you remember what you have? How many broken items were there that you thought “I’ll fix” but never got there! It really is worth taking the trip to the store cupboard or attic to double check.
How do you fancy Christmas in a Box?? Take the stress away by having your table decorations delivered to you wherever you may be.
Perhaps you’re going planning a trip away this year?
Maybe you’re visiting relatives and would like to help remove the stress for them..?
Wherever you plan to spend Christmas – The Table Stylist have all your answers!
Christmas in a box, comes in two different styles; the Winter Wonderland and The Nutcracker. Both collections are the perfect gift idea for yourself or anyone who enjoys hosting dinner parties and special occasions.
The Winter Wonderland is my personal favourite. Picture the scene:
Transform your table top into a Christmas winter wonderland with a forest of snow dappled trees set against a white cotton runner & glittering fallen stars & faux snow.
Transform your table top into a Christmas winter wonderland with a forest of snow dappled trees set against a white cotton runner & glittering fallen stars & faux snow.
The glow of candle light creates a soft warming atmosphere. White frill cotton napkins are tied with dark green velvet bows, sprigs of fir and white berries while seagrass placemats provide a simple and elegant backdrop for your china.
Finally, for an extra special touch The Table Stylist have included fully recyclable crackers which come with jokes and hats and can be assembled with your own custom treats. You can rent or buy the whole collection or add to your collection each year. What a wonderful tradition to pass fown to your family?
Make it a special, stylish Christmas to remember. The Table Stylist have given me a special 15% discount for you on any of their items on their website; Simple add “CLAIRE15” at the checkout
Nothing says stressfree Christmas like Mary Berry’s Christmas Collection It combines time-honoured festive favourites with a variey of exciting dishes to spice up the season. By taking the traditional Christmas fare and giving it a twist, Mary adds sparkle to every celebration.
Simple yet reliable recipes and Mary’s handy hints will take the pressure off entertaining, whether it’s for the big day itself, a Boxing Day crowd or an intimate New Year family gathering.
With an invaluable Christmas Day countdown, sample menus, shopping lists and ever-popular tips on preparing ahead and freezing, this is the must-have companion to the festive season.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Mary Berry and her Christmas book is THE book I have always gone to. I’ve even gift it as birthday gift!
Consider also your freezer space.. I’ll be covering that more in a future blog, I’m just giving you a little hint!
A stressfree Christmas is all about preparation. 10 weeks is actually quite a lot of time. Bit by bit, taking stock of what you can do now and over the coming weeks, rather than tackling everything in the very last week, really does help.
Let me know which top tip you like best and remember to take a look at The Table Stylist with your 15% discount. before you know it, you will have already ticked one thing off your stress free Christmas list!
In this weeks blog, I’m sharing my top tips to plan effectively so that you can prioritise more time for what’s important in your life, how I plan my diary and one very key lesson I learned years ago, which I still use today.
How do you plan? Are you an electronic diary kind of person or, like me, love to have a pretty planner..? Or several..?
Whilst this may seem excessive, I’m yet to find a planner that ticks all my boxes – so I use two or three. One for the home and my interiors projects, one for my Blogs and Missions and one for my Fitness and Wellbeing Goals including the “everyday” . The dream is to take all the aspects I love about the planners I use and add my own little spin. Wonder if you can guess what I’d add? Do you think if I make a wish, it might just happen..?
“The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Stephen Covey.
I have used the diaries and calendar from Boxclever Press for years, in fact am sure I was one of their first customers the year they launched which coincided with me becoming a new mum. Writing the important things down is key to managing my time effectively.
I was delighted recently when they asked me to review their new academic diary and calendar for 2021 / 2022 and share with you how I use them and what works for me. These planners are as close to perfect as I can get. They have everything for me as a busy mum of teens and and help me plan my writing and goals effectively.
The new school term for me is a perfect time for a new focus, and yes with that, a new planner! There’s something about having a new pencil case and notebook to reignite the passion around your working life, home life and yes, planning the final quarter of the year, all whilst wondering how that time has passed so quickly!
The planning starts for me before the Autumn term begins. I’m not sure what it’s like in your house but as the school summer term finishes, my inbox starts to flood with fixtures and dates for the new term. As a swim mum, this includes swimming fixtures as the season runs from late August through to the following summer.
Getting everything in place from dates to labelling the school uniform, early in the school summer holidays, means I can relax that little bit more without too many shocks the week before the new school year begins!
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”
Stephen Covey
Look after the big rocks first.
The same year I became a first-time mum, I attended a Franklin Covey course on time and life management. There began my love for Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. The biggest lightbulb moment was to look after the Big Rocks first.
The Big Rocks are the things in your life that are MOST important, they go in your planner first. It sounds a simple thing to do, but how many times when we are in the thick of life, we can revert to reactive living and not proactive. With a planner that works for you together with effective planning, life really does seem that much more manageable.
My Top Tips to Effective Planning:
Find a planner that works for you. it sounds really obvious but get to know it, spend time looking at all its functions so you are able to use it to your best advantage.
Put the big rocks in first, including YOU time – book it like an appointment. You wouldn’t miss you appointmentt for your car to have an MOT. Book them in for you too! Easier said than done I know, however practise makes perfect!
Create a system; with pens, stickers, whatever works for you to highlight the important appointments and fixtures that matter.
Create time for a Power of an Hour each day. Having focused time to work on ONE thing, working with intention and without distraction, it’s incredible what you can achieve.
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail! It’s the little things that have a huge effect on the big things, so simple but true. So plan ahead – if you’re planning on working out first thing in the morning, prepare ahead by getting your kit ready the night before.
Consider how you can limit any stresses that come your way. What do you need in place to limit any stresses that may come your way? As a stationary lover, having a box of birthday and celebration cards to hand is always helpful with children in the house.
Each Sunday, I spend a little time getting prepared for my week ahead. This involves looking at my planner, doing a diary check with the family. Adding and taking out what can help and hinder the week ahead. I confirm my workouts, plan the weekly menu, including the shopping list and print my Consistency Checklist for the week ahead. I’ve created some free downloads which might help you.
“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically, to say “no” to other things.
Stephen Covey.
Let’s be real.
Trying to plan effectively and having systems in place, are all well and good, but let’s be honest and realistic for a moment, life happens! We can plan for most things, yet curveballs can occur which will send us out of kilter. We’ve certainly learned that in the last year haven’t we?
We all know that it is how we respond to these circumstances that matter so please be kind to yourself. If you drop the ball, that’s ok. I truly hope that sharing some of the things that work for me, help you too. Be kind to yourself and put things in place that work for you.
I’m the creator of Woman on a Mission, a lifestyle space dedicated to helping women bring more calm, confidence and balance into everyday life. Born from my own journey to slow down and live with greater intention, it offers inspiration around wellbeing, organisation, home and mindset, one meaningful mission at a time
Establish a routine.
