The My Tomte blog

Notes from the kitchen table

Meal planning, lunchboxes, leftovers and the gentle art of getting everyone out the door on time. Written by Danny and Rowena, tested on Leo, and made for Australian households.

A dad and his child making pizza at the kitchen bench

Meal planning

How to meal plan for a family (without losing your Sunday)

A practical guide to meal planning for a busy Australian family: how to start, what to plan, leftovers, lunchboxes and the shopping list, step by step.

Rowena · 8 min read

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Meal planning

the weekly plan, theme nights, leftovers and prep

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Lunchboxes and school

term-time survival, one lunchbox at a time

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Kitchen and food waste

use it up, freeze it, stop buying cumin

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Family life

calendars, chores and hosting

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Free printables

planners and sheets for the fridge door

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My Tomte news

what’s new, what’s next, and the odd story

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Latest posts

Serving roast meat from the pot at a family table

Family life

Hosting when every guest eats differently

Vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free and one very fussy uncle. How to plan a dinner party or family gathering when every guest eats differently.

Rowena · 2 min read

Family life

How to set up a kitchen tablet as a family hub

Turn an old iPad or Android tablet into a family hub for the kitchen: calendar, meal plan and shopping list, in about ten minutes. Here’s how.

Danny · 2 min read

Lunchboxes and school

Back to school checklist for Australian families

Uniforms, stationery lists, lunchboxes, labels, calendars and routines: a practical back to school checklist for Australian families, week by week.

Rowena · 2 min read

Kitchen and food waste

Free printable freezer inventory (and a system that actually sticks)

Know exactly what’s in your freezer. Our free printable freezer inventory sheet, plus a simple system for labelling and using your freezer stash.

Rowena · 2 min read

A mum and daughter making a pizza together

Meal planning

14 dinner theme night ideas (for easier weeknights)

Taco Tuesday is just the start. 14 dinner theme night ideas that make weekly meal planning easier and end the “what’s for dinner?” debate.

Rowena · 2 min read

Free printables

Free printable Christmas lunch planner (for an Aussie Christmas)

Plan an Aussie Christmas lunch without the chaos: a free printable with the guest list, dietary needs, menu, who’s bringing what and a countdown.

Rowena · 2 min read

A dad on the phone, holding his baby in the kitchen

Meal planning

10 things to ask the tomte (that actually help)

Not sure what to ask an AI meal planner? Here are 10 real requests that make My Tomte’s Smart Actions earn their keep, from busy nights to fussy eaters.

Danny · 2 min read

Baked eggs in tomato sauce, with pita bread

Meal planning

What can I cook with what I have? (A fridge-raid method)

Staring into the fridge at 6 pm? This simple fridge-raid formula turns whatever you’ve got into dinner, plus five meals that work with almost anything.

Rowena · 2 min read

My Tomte news

What is a tomte? The little house spirit behind our name

A tomte is a little house spirit from Nordic folklore who quietly looks after the home. His story, his Christmas porridge, and why our app is named for him.

Danny · 3 min read

Free printables

Print them, stick them on the fridge, enjoy the smugness.

PDF, A4

Weekly meal planner

six meal slots, a “who’s home?” row and a shopping list grouped by aisle

No sign-up needed

Download →

PDF, A4

Christmas lunch planner

guests and dietary needs, the menu, who’s bringing what and a countdown

No sign-up needed

Download →

PDF, A4

Freezer inventory sheet

what’s in there, when it went in, and how many serves are left

No sign-up needed

Download →

See all free tools

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Notes from the kitchen table

Browse by topic

Meal planning

Lunchboxes and school

Kitchen and food waste

Family life

Free printables

My Tomte news

Latest posts

Free printables

Weekly meal planner

Christmas lunch planner

Freezer inventory sheet

One email a month

A quick word about cookies