A handful of cheerios, a pulled apart cheese stick, 4 half-eaten chicken nuggets, and 3 un-smashed blueberries. That is what dinner looked like after a crazy week of work. Oh, I almost forgot the squeeze pouch of applesauce! Hashtag MomLife, am I right?
Long gone are the days with a nice sit-down meal at home. So I thought.
Enter Instead of Flowers. And paper plates 😉
Not only would I “gift” myself an Instead of Flowers meal, but it is a go-to, must-do gift for any mom-friend in your life. Locally owned and operated, Instead of Flowers is a food delivery service that only requires a pre-heated oven, microwave, and plates. No food prep. No dishes to clean (well, only if you use your real plates, I opted for the paper plate from our pantry (another tool for motherhood survival).
Whether you or your friends are welcoming their first or third child, going through a health issue or just need relief, Instead of Flowers is the perfect gift for your mom tribe (and you!).
How does it work?
- Order a gift card and they will contact the recipient
- As the recipient, you can pick your meal and delivery date. You can customize each meal (see my favorites below)
- A meal is delivered between 3:00-6:00 p.m. You don’t have to be home so don’t worry about scheduling one more thing in your day
- Pre-heat your oven and warm it up (some items just need to go into the microwave)
- Dinner is on the table in 20-30 minutes with no meal prep and no dishes to clean
Instead of Flowers offers delicious meals that include an entree, veggie side, salad, rolls, and mouth-watering desserts. Plus, kids meals for the youngest members of the family!
I had an opportunity to try their standard and deluxe meals, plus desserts. Dinner quickly became enjoyable. Just pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees, popped the tray in for 15-20 minutes, tossed the salad and warmed up the veggies in the microwave. In less than 25 minutes I had dinner on the table – a dinner everyone ate!
My top picks (although, you can’t go wrong with any of the selections!):
- Kids meal: meatloaf with marinara sauce
- For Mom and Dad: Shrimp and Grits
- Dessert: Cappuccino bars
You can check out all of their meals here. Give them a call at 404-351-7171 to place your order or give a gift!
