Summer is always a great time in our family. I usually take a week off work to fully focus on the kids; we go to the beach or take a trip to the countryside. We stay up late, watch movies and enjoy quality time together.

But now that school’s almost back in session, a healthy routine is necessary.

Here’s my checklist for this year’s back-to-school season:

✅Get dinner time back on track

During the summer, dinner time always varies. Nothing wrong with a big lunch and some late-night snacks. But now that my little ones are returning to school, it’s time for a proper schedule.

Cooking every night is an extreme challenge for me, so I looked up “the most popular recipe boxes.” HelloFreshpopped up on top! I decided to try it and chose the Plan for 4 people with 5 meals a week, which costs £3.15 per plate (or £1.26 with the current discount!) – much less than take away or buying groceries!

I loved that HelloFresh lets me choose my own meals out of a vast weekly selection. Everything was delivered right to my doorstep with pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards that make cooking absolutely stress-free.

We started with something everyone loved: Tex-Mex Style Pork Mince Tacos with Tomato Salsa, Baby Gem, Cheese, and Soured Cream – it was incredibly delicious, and the kids loved it. We kept experimenting with our dinners throughout the week, getting more adventurous. The Diced Chicken Breast and Spinach Curry took only 20 minutes to make. On Friday, we went for an easy-to-follow 45-min recipe: Roasted Confit Duck Leg and Red Wine Jus with Thyme Roast Potatoes, Chantenay Carrots, and Bacon Spinach. What a luxurious Dinner! It was by far my favourite!

Signing up for HelloFresh was the smartest thing I could have done. I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner. Plus, I’m saving time and money while wasting much less food.

✅Clean out the kids’ wardrobes

My kids grew so much over the summer that their jeans are far above their ankles. Usually, we go shopping for new uniforms, jeans, and jackets. But this year, I wanted to do something different.

Before heading out shopping, we went through their wardrobes and packed all the old clothes that no longer fit - not to mention all the mismatched socks - in bags and dropped them at the Salvation Army. The next day we headed out to buy new outfits.

Now the kids know exactly where everything is and will have no trouble picking their outfits for school every morning.

✅Catch some me-time

After coming home from work, cooking dinner, helping the kids with homework, and doing the chores, I fall to bed exhausted and realise that I didn’t have a minute for myself. But no longer!

This school year, I’m determined to schedule some time for myself, even if it’s only 30 minutes a day. And HelloFresh makes that possible – since I can spend less time in the supermarket and less time on food prep.

If you’re a busy parent looking to get some time back and reduce the cooking stress, you need to try HelloFresh! It’s going to change your life, I promise!

Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get up to 60% off your first four HelloFresh Deliveries