This post is sponsored by Pinnacle Foods. All comments and opinions are my own.

Schedule time for your family to achieve work-life balance.

Wow, life has seemed so busy lately! Fall is my favorite time of the year, which means we are constantly on the go as a family. Together, we try to find balance among work, school activities, volunteering, playing together, dining as a family, and going on fun adventures! Here are the different ways we schedule time for our family {with the help of Birds Eye® Veggie Made™ meals, but more on that later}.

 

Schedule Time for Homework

We have recently begun a more structured schedule. When the kids come home from school, they get a quick snack and begin their homework. With Lydia being in 3rd grade, she has multiple pages of math and reading homework each night. She can do most of it independently and asks for help when she gets stuck. Bryce has to do a weekly math packet along with a timed reading sheet each afternoon, which requires my assistance to listen and set the stopwatch. If your children are a little bit older, then they probably have essays. If that is so, you can help them find free essays online.

When they are finished, they are allowed to play and watch TV until Richard gets home from work. We decided to get cable tv services so the kids can watch different shows from kids’ channels.

 

Schedule Time for Play

When Richard gets home, he gets changed and takes the kids outside to play. They’ve really been into playing soccer together in our cul-de-sac, so that’s usually their preferred activity. They also enjoy riding bikes and scooters, this is a healthy way to do exercise with the whole family and you can get all you need at Pleasanton bikes. It’s a nice way for them to get some exercise in and get out all of that energy kids tend to bottle up during the school day.

 

Schedule Time for Meal Preparation

While the kids are outside playing with Richard, I complete whatever work needs to get done for the day and begin meal preparation. I started planning my meals on Sunday for the week, and I write the menu on a marker board on the refrigerator. This is really helping me get organized each day, spending less time contemplating what to prepare. Some days, I like to cook elaborate dinners that take up to an hour to prepare. Other days, I choose something quick and easy with minimal prep work and clean up. I recently discovered Birds Eye® Veggie Made™ Chicken Fried Riced Cauliflower. Cauliflower rice is a staple in my home, and sometimes I use it to make fried rice, but the prep-work for a dish that complex could be up to an hour. I generally have to finely chop all of the ingredients, cook the chicken, separately cook the vegetables, fry an egg, mix ingredients to make a sauce, and then combine everything. That can easily take 45 minutes, but Birds Eye Veggie Made Chicken Fried Riced Cauliflower from Walmart is ready in 15 minutes. What a time saver!

This is a great option for a complete meal that contains one full cup of vegetables per serving and is free of artificial flavors and preservatives. To prepare, just add the cauliflower rice with vegetables and proteins to a large sauté pan, pour in the sauce, mix, and cook over a medium heat for less than 15 minutes start-to-finish. Bonus, the rice and pasta in these dishes are made entirely of vegetables. After dinner, it’s time for a bath, pajamas, brush teeth, and bedtime stories.

Click onto the Ibotta link to find savings on Birds Eye Veggie Made Meals. Offers are available while supplies last.

 

Schedule Time for Volunteering

Volunteerism is really important to our family. We spend a great deal of time at the childrens’ school, helping out with the PTA. Richard heads up the Wellness Committee, which works on tending to the school garden and leading a running program for the students called Morning Mile. I am the head of the ESE Committee, so I provide the special education teachers and students with support. We work on a variety of volunteer activities together. Recently, we started a butterfly garden at their school! You can also try volunteering at senior homes. Visit chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/new-jersey/belvidere/ for more information.

 

 

Schedule Time for Adventures

On the weekends, we love exploring our community. Every Saturday morning, we visit our local farmer’s market, and then head out on an adventure. Recently, we visited a farm that hosted a Halloween event, where the horses were dressed in costumes and the kids were able to trick-or-treat for candy. Between pumpkin picking at a real pumpkin patch, fall festivals, 5K run on Thanksgiving, there are just so many adventures to go on as a family in the fall!

Life is about finding balance. We are always looking to plan out a schedule that has a good mix of work, play, and quality time as a family. Head to Walmart where you can purchase the following Birds Eye Veggie Made Meals varieties: Chicken Fried Riced Cauliflower, Garlic Chicken, Alfredo Chicken, and Sweet & Sour Chicken in the frozen food section of your local Walmart. While at Walmart you can also grab a new soccer ball or homework materials or maybe even some classroom items to donate to your child’s school.

How do you schedule time for all of your family’s activities?

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