The Poopsie Collective

The Simplify Series: Dream Dinners

written by STEPHANIE

Dinners have become challenging since the little one entered our lives. We were BIG cooks back in our pre-offspring lives. Both my husband and I loved trying new recipes, having dinner parties, and going over the top when cooking at home. But now that the munchkin is here, we’re drained come dinner time. All I want to do is turn on Hulu, catch up on my shows (has anyone else actually thanked the heavens that Liz Lemon is finally back? I know Tina Fey had a baby and all, but people are depending on her! Chop, chop, Lady!), and order take-out. 

My hubs, on the other hand, while not interested in cooking himself, still longs for home cooked meals. Enter another hair brained scheme by Stephanie Stuart! Dream Dinners.

My cousin, a stay-at-home mother of two (4 y.o. and 2 y.o.), introduced me to Dream Dinners. And boy oh boy, is it ever a DREAM! I was nervous when I committed, but I had to trust her. She is a foodie, after all. I mean, the tables at her wedding were named after their favorite restaurants from around the world. Seriously. This girl knows her food. 

So here’s how it works:

- Pre-select your menu for the month, minimum of 36 servings/ 9 meals. The average couple will eat 3 servings with a little leftover. It’s the perfect amount for sharing with kids, or putting away leftovers for lunch the next day.

- Select your session date and time.

- Arrive at the Dream Dinners location, bringing only a cooler or box to take home your meals. 

- Stations are set-up inside, one for each meal offered on that month’s menu. Recipes have simple instructions with color coded measurements, making assembling your meals really fast and foolproof. 

- After your meals are ready, the staff packs them into your cooler/box, loads them into your car, and you’re DONE!

- Average session should only take an hour and you’ll have dinners for the whole month!

Miscellaneous details:

- Meals are priced individually, so the cost of your monthly meals will vary based on what you order. Your total is broken down by serving, which is a nice way to see how it compares to a typical dinner at home. My family’s average was only $4.99 per serving for the month. For us, Dream Dinners is actually a savings.

- Most meals do not include side dishes. When you arrive at Dream Dinners, they have a freezer full of appetizers, soups, sides, desserts, etc. that you can add-on for an additional charge. I picked up a Sweet Potato Tater-Tot package that my daughter LOVES! Ok, me too… probably more than her. 

- There is no commitment. None. Zero. Do it this month and you can do it again anytime you want. Or not! If it doesn’t work for your family, you have no obligation to go back. There is nothing to even cancel. 

- The staff is so nice! They were patient and informative, and ready to help in anyway they could. When all of my stations were occupied, they offered me tea and a snack for the wait! I mean… LOVE!

Examples of dinners. None of mine have actually looked like these, but it’s good to have goals. 

The verdict:

- So far we have tried two of our dinners, both have been good. Not great. Just good.

- Side dishes are always a challenge for us, and our meals are typically just entrees. Dream Dinners hasn’t changed this much. Some of their pre-packaged side dishes work with the meals, but for the most part we still have to take care of the salad/veggie component of a meal on our own. 

- The monthly menu doesn’t offer many vegetarian options. We aren’t vegetarians, but we try to eat healthily.

- The Dream Dinners meals don’t have preservatives, but the meals aren’t exactly light or fresh either. Our dinner last night tasted like it came from Applebee’s. If you like Applebee’s, TGIFridays, Chili’s, and the like, you will probably be really happy with the meals. 

- Meals still take a good chunk of time before they are ready to eat. Granted, there isn’t any prep time needed, like chopping and measuring and cleaning. But depending on the meal, you may need a good hour of cooking time. 

- Will I do it again next month? Still not sure… 

To find a Dream Dinners near you, click here. There are companies out there using a similar structure but offering gluten-free, kosher, organic or vegetarian specific menus.

This is not a paid advertisement. Poopsie Collective was not compensated for this post in any way. 

The Simplify Series: A Room of One’s Own

written by STEPHANIE

I am a full-time-stay-at-home-mom/ blogger/ writer/ yogi/ laundress/ interior decorator and baker. And despite getting paid for very few things on my “business” card, it was becoming evident to me that I needed some real space of my own from which to work. 

Between the dining room table (which had become the daily dump station, littered with diaper bags, clean laundry, returns and unopened mail…) and the kitchen table, I did what little work I could. But the obvious mess and disorganization was spilling over into my head and work ethic, making it impossible for me to focus. 

The solution? Transform the rarely-used-for-dining dining table into my workspace! It was so simple and I don’t know why it took a year of living and working like this to figure it out. 

AFTER: My tidy new “office”!

Here’s how I did it, and here’s how you can do it too…

Step 1: Locate a spot in your house that isn’t being well utilized and claim it as your own.

Step 2: Clean it out! I moved out all of the random items that were accumulating there. This alone helped me see more clearly! Diaper bags were unpacked and put away, unopened mail was opened and dealt with, returns were returned, and so on.

Step 3: Organize. I sorted my papers into three categories, then bought 3 file racks for the desk top. I already had a beautiful, large, wooden box with lid where I hid everything that didn’t have a home (like gift cards, business cards and power cords). Now it is visible and accessible on the desk top as well. 

Step 4: Charging station. I never knew where my phone, iPad or laptop chargers were. And so, I was constantly dealing with “dead” devices. Not anymore! I plugged all the chargers into the outlet behind my desk and when I’m not using my devices, they are being charged. This also means that I usually know where my phone is now too! 

Overall: HUGE IMPROVEMENT! Why didn’t I do this sooner? 

BEFORE: My dining room/ dump station.