As I explained in my last post, I recently had a baby (#3!). What I failed to mention was how incredibly supportive my girlfriends and fellow moms were throughout the entire pregnancy and after we came home from the hospital. By far, my favorite gift I have ever received as a new mom (and the most helpful) was the creation of a Meal Train for our family.
If you’ve never heard of Meal Train (I hadn’t until a year or so ago), it’s a pretty genius concept. During any major life event (births/ deaths/ illness/ moving/ etc), the last thing you want to worry about is what to make for dinner, so you or a friend creates an online Meal Train calendar. This calendar allows friends and family to sign up to drop off meals (or Uber Eats gift cards) on the days of your choosing, as well as let them know of any allergies, likes, dislikes, etc. Participants can specify what kind of meal they are planning to bring, and everyone can see it, which helps prevent everyone from bringing the same dish. Friends can also share the calendar via social media and email, so you can really open it up to members of a community or a congregation.
I cannot express how touched we were by everyone’s generosity during our Meal Train. As a working mom who is always short on time and more of a baker than cook, I don’t make many meals from scratch and dread having to think of what to make for dinner every night. I’m more of a store bought rotisserie chicken with a side of frozen veggies kind of cook, so my family was thrilled to enjoy delicious homemade dishes AND have sweet visitors come by to meet the baby. It was a really beautiful expression of community – everyone coming together to celebrate and help out. You know what they say about how it takes a village? Participating in a Meal Train really makes this concept a reality.
If you know someone who could use some support, give Meal Train a try. Home cooked meals make everyone happy!
Xo so glad you loved it!