Magnetic Menu Planner

I am so excited about this!!  But first, I need to give credit to Robin Sampson from the Heart of Wisdom blog.  She shared a similar idea on her blog, and I loved the idea of it.  I wanted to make it as frugally as possible, so I searched for other magnetic menu planners and found this one from Amy at The Red Chair Blog.  I tweaked it a little bit, but I love how it turned out!

You need:
Copy paper
Computer and printer
Scrapbook paper
Scissors (or paper-cutter)
Laminator (or contact paper or packing tape)
Magnets (from advertisements or phonebooks or a roll of magnet strip)
Glue
Refrigerator or other magnetic surface

1)  Make a list of favorite dinners.  I would suggest about 30-35.  You may also want to include some for the days you eat out and some blank ones for new recipes (if you laminate them, you'll be able to use a dry erase marker and reuse the blank ones).  Type them up in a simple program and print them out.  You will also need to print out the days of the week and a title for your menu.  (I'm not giving you precise measurements, because they will vary according to how large or small you want the menu to be on your refrigerator!)

2)  Cut the dinner ideas apart.  Then, pick a couple of coordinating pieces of scrapbook or other decorative paper for your menu.

3)  Cut the scrapbook paper a little bit larger than the dinner ideas.

4)  Center and glue the pieces together.

5)  Laminate and cut out each piece.  If you do not have a laminator, contact paper or even packing tape will work.

6)  Glue a magnet (you can reuse junk magnets from phone books or other advertising) to the back of each part.

7)  Arrange on your refrigerator!  Extra pieces are easily stored in a small basket or on the refrigerator for easy access.

So far, I love having my magnetic menu!  I love that I can plan a whole month or just a week's worth of dinners!  I love that my dinner ideas are right in front of me (so I don't get stuck in a rut)!  I love how easy it is to swap out one meal for another (no pen marks all over the calendar when I need to make a change)!

The only thing I didn't like about making this magnetic menu planner was that it was a little time-intensive.  In my next post, I am going to share a simplified version with you!  Also, keep your eyes open!  I'm going to have a giveaway soon.  If you win, I'll make you a magnetic menu planner (personalized with your favorite dinners and desired colors)!