Do you ever feel like Prep day arrives and you realize you don’t know what’s for dinner Friday, let alone all day Shabbat? I know it has happened to me a few times. (blush) It’s simply a lack of planning on my part. So I came up with a simple little system to help me to be truly ready to enter into Shabbat.

You see, preparing for Shabbat should really start as soon as Shabbat is over. You know that in seven days, there will be another Shabbat, so why not use those six days in between to help you get ready? I don’t enjoy doing everything on Prep day, so I have learned to prepare some things a day or more beforehand. I’ve also created a printable checklist to help me plan and make sure everything is done on time. I keep it on my fridge. 🙂

The checklist has a place to plan all the meals for Shabbat and put the ingredients on a shopping list. You can write out what tasks can be done ahead, and what needs to be done on Prep day. You also have a place to plan special activities and teachings. You can even jot down topics you would like to study on Shabbat. Don’t forget that My First Torah is a great tool for Shabbat time with younger children.

Download your copy of the Shabbat checklist! I hope it will make your Shabbat preparations a bit easier. I want to be able to enter Shabbat on purpose, rather than chasing my tail. 🙂 Enjoy.

You can find even more ideas for Shabbat by checking out these old posts.