Sunday Prep Vol. 01

The week where we share summer sandals and eat sheet pan nachos.

Jun 01, 2025

Clean out the fridge and pantry.

Refresh your go-to meals list for summer lunches and dinners with chilled salads and options to grill. Plan easy healthy snacks for your week to get ahead of a crazy day!

Something to do today:

Wash the produce. Cut up the fruits and veggies so they're ready to grab this week.

Something to do this week:

Get the pool and beach towels out for summer. Wash the ones you want to keep. Get rid of the ones you no longer need! Put them somewhere you can grab all summer long. If you're always on the go, keep a few in the trunk of your car.

Sheet Pan Nachos

Page 166 in The Simplified Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (1 oz.) packet taco seasoning
1 bag of tortilla chips
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mild salsa (or spicier if you can handle the heat!)
Plus #allthetoppings your heart desires

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through. Drain the excess fat and discard.
Drain and rinse black beans, and add beans and taco seasoning to skillet, stirring to combine, and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Line baking sheet with tortilla chips. Top with half the beef-and-bean mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers.
Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove the nachos from the oven and top with salsa and any other favorite toppings.

Pro Tip:

If you learn any kitchen hack from us, let it be this: Spoon the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) into a baggie, and snip one of the bottom corners. Drizzle from the cut corner over your nachos. This will prevent giant clumps of sour cream on certain bites and none on others. You’re welcome.

Get ahead of your week & make time for the things that need to get done!

Add sunscreen and bug spray to your cart to stock up for summer
If you have a smart thermostat, set up your cooling routines for the hot months
Start shopping for Father's Day gifts
Text the family about Father's Day plans
Make an appointment to have your house sprayed for bugs

👇What else are you putting in your planner this week?

Things our team is talking about this week…

Lindsey's crockpot. She is obsessed and thinks everyone needs it.
We had a marketing team debate AT LENGTH over the ideal toasty-level of bread. Are you team practically-burnt or barely-cooked? Tell us in the comments!
Book: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. We are an unofficial EH fan club and have been not so patiently awaiting this new drop. Some of us loved it, some of us wish we could read Funny Story over and over again forever.
Podcast: Good Hang with Amy Poehler. Seeing Amy Poehler belly laugh makes us belly laugh.
The shoes of summer. We're on the hunt for *the* summer sandal and we've got lots of contenders. Liz bought these (admittedly to get free shipping on her toddler's Crocs) and has been surprised how much she loves them. Some other team favorites this season are Lindsey's, Emily's, Taylor's, and Brittany's. Lindsey also just added these to cart!

Each week, we're answering your real-life questions—about routines, meal ideas, work-life balance, favorite movies, and everything in between. Got a question? Leave it in the comments!

Leave a comment

Q: "Need all the advice for a working mom with a school age child 🫠" - Jordon B
A: Working-while-momming is hard all year round, but it's especially hard in the summer months when everyone is home from school and going in a hundred directions. Here's how our team is handling the chaos:
Dusty: I'm all about easy, no-oven meals. Letting your kids help is also a game-changer. I would give my kids their own simple checklist each day—things like "make your bed," "play outside," "read for 20 minutes." They feel involved and I get a few quiet pockets to check off my own list too. 🤣
Brittany: Summer is so great but so hard. The flexibility is amazing, but it can also feel like you never have down time if you're having to push work things to the evening. Having a cadence to the day helps everyone! We go for a walk/bike ride early before it gets hot, then play inside while mom works, lunch and naps (more mom work time!), then afternoon fun. Flexible but not so loose that everyone is spiraling without structure. Also, don't be afraid to use babysitters when you can afford it, and evening work hours when you need them. Cleaning things outside also is a big hit and will keep my kids occupied for 45 mins easily! $5 Lowe’s gallon bucket, some soapy water, and a scrub brush and let them to go town on patio furniture, sidewalks, whatever. When in doubt add water or music (the Toniebox is OUR FAVORITE for road trips and beyond).
Whitney: Clear routines and expectations help us a lot. We only do screen time at a certain time of day, for example, so they aren't bugging us to watch shows all day. Oh and also, chalk + water = chalk paint. Have them paint their outdoor or waterproof toys and then wash them after. Two for one!
Laura: Every night we map out the next day on a notepad that sits on the kitchen island. I also brain dump on this notepad so I can sleep without wondering if I’ve washed the right jersey. With the notepad, everyone can see who is going where, what needs to be taken care of in the pockets of time between driving kids places, and then what time blocks are available for free-for-all time where the kids can choose. That way everyyyyone is on the same page and they know the plan when they wake up. I also keep an eye out for BOGO deals on the Mondo Llama kits from Target, they're perfect for the daily "I'm bored" moments. We are also really trying to push reading this summer! We're doing a March Madness style bracket on the best places to read around our house—outdoor swing, under the Nugget, on the boat. And rewards for reading are fun!
Emily: Loosen your grip. It helps so much when you are proactive about fun things and dedicated work hours, and also acknowledge the fun that comes with flexibility. We're also not above iPad time while mom makes dinner or gets work done.
Even though the to-do list is REAL and it matters, make time for the popsicle on the porch and a spontaneous "yes." This is your first and only summer parenting in 2025, just as it's their first and only summer being a kid in 2025. We're all learning and trying our best! Above all else, practice a summer of grace, not perfection. Teach your friends and your kids and your coworkers what this means and how they can live it out in their lives too!

Simplified at Draper James.

Simplified restock at the Nashville Draper James store! It has been SO fun for our team to get back into wholesale. We love seeing our product on display in our favorite stores.

New Summer Drop

We test every product prototype like crazy before it gets into your hands. We have been obsessed with the new tumblers in our summer drop.

Lindsey got MARRIED!

8/9 of Team Simplified gathered in St. Louis for Lindsey's wedding and it was THE BEST WEEKEND. All of our spouses met for the first time and it was *everything* we always dreamed it would be! We call Lindsey our sunshine girl, just look at this radiant bride! Let’s just say more than a few happy tears were shed that day.