I think the logistics of big family life are always what intrigued me the most. I would look at big families and wonder how they handled the grocery shopping, meal planning, errands, laundry, house cleaning, chauffeuring kids around, etc. I wanted to be a fly on the wall to see how it all worked. I come from a family of eight, but being one of the youngest children in a big family is different than being the MOM of a big family. Hello, responsibility! Although life can get overwhelming in these areas at various points, I feel like we have mostly got a good system going, and thought I'd try and share what we do and would love to hear any tips you have in the comments!
Meal Planning:
This one is fairly new to me, but now it's become such a good habit. I have an excel spreadsheet with each day written down to plan the meal, and then sections for groceries that I'll need, super simple:
Usually we try to make a plan of meals on Friday night or Saturday morning and then shop at some point during the weekend. We ask the kids if there's any meal they want, and add that in too. It's really helped us save time and money each week. If for some reason we haven't meal planned, I walk around the store like a zombie throwing in random items, hoping to make something out of nothing for the rest of the week. I don't know how I lasted so long without meal planning!