DIY Chalkboard Menu

Need some practical help with planning out your weekly menu and groceries?I have a quick little project that can help you out. It's nothing new...but I love it and it works for us :)

The background story...a couple months ago I came across a long, ornate mirror, in my parents garage. It was covered in cobwebs and hidden behind a few other miscellaneous items. It was a gem. It looked perfect for a project I had in the back of my mind: chalkboard menu for our long, bare, awkward kitchen wall. 

My parents happily handed over their unused mirror, and I got right to work. First I researched...can mirrors be painted? How do you paint with chalkboard paint? etc. etc. I finally found what I was looking for :)

Step 1: Tape your mirror or frame around the edges to cover the parts that you don't want painted. If you're spray painting, cover most or all of the surface area. (YES, you can paint mirrors!!!)

Step 2 & 3: Spray paint mirror with primer. Let dry for 20 minutes (picture not shown). Paint chalkboard paint in even strokes on surface of mirror-next time I would use spray paint instead of regular paint to have a smooth finish without the brush strokes.

Step 4: Remove tape. Prepare menu for the week. Write menu plan on the board. Hang the new chalkboard menu and enjoy!

I like to add verses that we can memorize or reflect on throughout the week. Each week the menu looks a little different...as seen above: a few missing grocery items necessary for Lindsey's tuna casserole recipe are hastily written at the bottom of the board :) yumOH! Last week's menu included a short note at the bottom  from my special seester, "Why don't you live a little and eat something not on the menu? :)" Haha...oh little one, we have much to teach you :) I love you!

I enjoy planning meals for the week so that a) we don't go over budget, b) we purchase exactly what we need and no more, c) we use our groceries (in the pantry and fridge) and don't let them go to waste, and d) we have a variety of tasty meals to look forward to in the week :) And, with this nice re-purposed mirror to chalkboard, we have a solution to our long-and-bare-awkward-kitchen-wall issue...it fits the space well, and is nice to look at! :) and it is a great reminder for the week ahead!

I usually plan out my week of groceries from Wednesday to Tuesday, because Wednesday is the day I go grocery shopping and then I know what fresh produce to purchase for the week. I generally go once a week and try to hit all of the necessary stores in one outing, depending on how the baby holds up :) The groceries last for the week and some weeks we can even stretch them to two weeks! Praise God for His wonderful provision!

I hope this was helpful! More tips/ideas to come!