Technology and You! Calendars, Addresses and More!

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It used to be we relied on paper and pencil.  Now there are many outstanding ways to stay on top of dates and details.  The best tool for this?  Here are some options!

Never forget a date again with google and the google calendar.   Input your info from your phone or from your computer.   Its with you all the time so you can consult your calendar and then make a plan.  Add dates right away while at the doctor or at school.  And you can keep track of all your family on this calendar.   Share your schedule with Dad, mom and kids.  Everyone can enter information so right away you know when your kids’ soccer games are, their test dates and more.  Enter birthdays, anniversaries and other special events and mark them as recurring events.  You will be alerted for these.  And this is all free!

Never lose track of someone’s address or phone number again.  Using Outlook makes keeping it all together so easy.  Upload information right away from email and add phone and address too!   I also suggest adding your own signature line to your email.  This is a way to share your contact information right away. (Here are some instructions for adding this.   http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/Create_Email_Signature_Outlook.htm)  If your phone synchronizes with Outlook you are totally set!

I love having lists ready to go! So why reinvent them?  A great service ListPlanIt.com has lists for every possible need.  With over 500 lists to choose from,  you will have them at your fingertips.  Check it out and see what you think at www.listplanit.com . 

Have technology that works for you?  Share that tool here!

Last minute school organizing

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It’s the last weekend before school, your back packs are packed, complete with pencils and paper.  Your kids’ new school outfits are laid out and ready for the first day.  You have lunch bags set on the counter, ready to fill.    So what is left to prepare or organize for the new school year?   Being organized means you have that last minute fun before the new school year.    Have a last minute fling with a day trip to Galveston,  family fun night of games, or just an inexpensive jaunt to a local park.   

Are you not ready and not so organized?  Put in a couple of hours of organizing and jump into the fun!  Your kids will remember this last minute fun more than you will stress over being unorganized. And next year it will be a reminder of why get organized – so you can  have more fun! 

On your outing, talk about what is going to make this school year the best yet!  What will each of you do to be great team members for your family? What will be your goal and what does it take to get there? What routines will help everyone achieve their goals for the new year?   The best part of family fun is the communication that happens, the sharing laughter and the time spent together. 

Not even getting ready for school?  Have your last minute fling next weekend!  Kids and families will be in their new routines and it will be less crowded than Labor Day Weekend.

 We all want to stretch summer to the end!

Back to School Preparation Checklist

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Back to school check lists

 

You and your kids are counting down the days until school begins again.  Start the year off right with some easy steps to prepare for the first day.   A little preparation goes a long way throughout the school year.

 

Appointments

It is time to schedule all those back to school doctor, dental and eye glass appointments. It can take up to 2 weeks so call now for the best time.  Many athletic departments require physicals and it is important to have an updated immunization record. Be proactive and get these dates on your calendar.  Remember to get an extra copy for your files too!  Schedule other groom essentials like haircuts and more too.

 

Paper

Before the new year avalanche of paper starts, take the last year’s artwork and corral it.  Using a Fed Ex Box large box, save only the “precious” items to store in the top of a closet.  Label the box by year (1st grade or 2009-2010).  Now you are ready for this year’s art.

Set up your command center for action papers.  Your command center holds all the very important action papers, including bills, kids papers from school  and other papers requiring an action. Add sections for papers that will be pending and filed. Each day open your mail at this station, recycle junk mail, shred potential identity theft papers and bring catalogs and magazines to a reading spot. By creating a specific work station for these papers, you are ready to act on them with an hour of weekly administrative time.

 

Closets

Clean out your kids’ closets before you shop for back to school gear.  Only keep what is fitting or a little larger.  Keep some warm weather attire for the beginning days of school.  When it comes to creating a system for storing the clothes, have your kids partner with you to create what works. Kids can maintain their closets or drawers if they are in reach and they have a good routine for this.  Have a laundry basket in everyone’s room to collect dirty and redistribute clean clothes too.

 

Academics

The first few weeks of school are all about refreshing skills and concepts. Do your kids need a little routine for the last few weeks of summer? Skill building books and free online computer games are available for writing, math and problem solving.  Make it fun with stickers and rewards for accomplishing and completing pages.

 

Morning and Evening Routines

The hardest part of getting back to school is getting back to the morning routine.  Two weeks before school begins, start having earlier bedtimes and wake up calls.  You can inch back bedtime for half an hour earlier each week until the week before school starts you are setting the routines in motion.   Practice getting up with an alarm too.   Hold your family meeting to review what works best each morning and evening during the school year.    Set in motion an evening routine where backpacks are ready at the backdoor the night before, clothes are laid out and everyone feels ready for the next day.

Make this your best school year yet by chatting with your family about their expectations and more.  Go around the table and ask each person to talk about what they want to accomplish this year.    Ask how each family member can assist another, in partnering about tests, sharing responsibilities or other aspects.  Create a team in making each person’s academic goals come true!

Organizing for the Mom Entrepreneur

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I  love learning what works for moms!  In using twitter, I met the most organized entrepreneur mom ever, Melissa Lierman, @timeoutmom.  She shared with me the most important technology tools she uses to keep her busy home organized. 

  • My blackberry allows me to go to more kids activities because I can take the office with me.
  • Online bill paying takes the stress out of finances. 
  • Have  a dimmer switch in your bathroom for  bath time relaxation.
  • Have a DVR so you  are not tied to regular television viewing.   We just record our shows and watch when we want.   We have 2 DVRs, one for the family and one for me!
  • We have a slew of timers.  We play beat the clock, set the timer for 15 minutes and do crazy fast RTO = Restore the Order to the house.
  • The computer makes great spreadsheets for chore charts, after school routines, and organize weekly & monthly projects.
  • My  favorite non-tech item is her end-all be-all giant family calendar – master calendar to organize everyone’s work and activities.

Thanks Melissa for these great ideas! 

About Melissa

 Melissa Lierman will be married to her wonderful husband John 14 years in November and is a busy mom of 3 great kids – smart and sharp 11 year old MacKenzie Peter, artistic and creative almost 9 year old Maria Stella, and powerhouse action-packed 2.5 year old Jonathan Roger. She believes that the keys to success for a busy household are: lots of love, lots of patience, and lots of organization, and great communication.

 Melissa runs 3 businesses as a work at home mom. She travels once a a month speaking all across the United States and Canada teaching and training how to use Social Media and Twitter for Business. She fills in her time between travel with her product business (all mom-made), her training and consulting business, and her work with authors.  She teaches how to do it smarter, better, faster, stronger and goes by the nickname The Bionic Wonder Woman ! 

 Website: http://www.timeoutmom.com (complete re-do in process this summer, re-launch in september)

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TimeOutMom

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeOutMom

 

Website: http://www.ILoveAuthors.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ILoveAuthors

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/ILoveAuthors

Company’s coming! Get Organized!

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company's coming get organized

 

 

Organizing takes a new level when company is coming!  Flylady often talks about CHAOS – can’t have anyone over syndrome. But with a few tricks, organizing can make a difference for you and your guests. Company’s coming and it’s time to get organized!

 

Set a real date for real company and you will be propelled into action. 

Brain chemistry kicks in and you are focused, energized, and making decisions.  Clients who are determined to invite people over really make change happen!  It can be an anniversary party or a  surprise bday party; whenever it is something very special it makes a difference.

 

Break your responsibilities into baby steps.

Set a time table that works for you.  Set the date and work backwards, allowing more time than you think to get things done.  Create the guest list and make invitations 4 weeks in advance.  Invite guests 2 weeks in advance.  Make a list of what you are serving and your groceries to purchase a week in advance.  Start your food preparation 3 days in advance.   Clean the house 2 days ahead of the party. Set the table the day before and purchase flowers that day.  The day of the party turn on lights and music, set the food out, and enjoy yourself!

 

Cultivate team members to help you.

Look at the strengths of your team members, including your kids, to see who can do what. I recently worked with a family where one daughter was great at cleaning, one was great at decorating and one was great at clean up.  They each enjoyed their part of the party planning.   Sometimes a little healthy competition works too.  A husband and wife were working together on painting and putting up storage in a room. As they worked, each judged how far along they were, and both finished about the same time.   Partnering creates success!

When it comes to food, choose what you do best and delegate other responsibilities. With oodles of catering, choose the snacks to make and the snacks to purchase.  Or have a signature dish you make all the time as your “go to” recipe.   Ina Garten  and Sandra Lee, both from Food Network, talk about simple dinner fare.    Take a tip from these accomplished ladies.

 

Make people the focus, not perfection.

Often clients scurry about worrying about whether the windows are clean enough, the food divinely delish, or the music special.    It is all about your time with your guests more than anything else.    Take the time to really be in the moment of the party.     Just before the party begins, take a moment to survey your success.  It is that time in which you know how much you have accomplished.

 

Simplify your holiday with these ideas!

 

Join me on Facebook for daily organizing inspiration!

Organizing Teens

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This weekend I had the opportunity to visit my niece Hallie for a very special occasion, her high school graduation.  One look in her room and closet, and I knew she had the organizing gene! No clothes on the floor and order inside her closet.   I asked her about her successful organizing techniques and what she would share with other teen girls, especially about her folding and laundry tips. 

First off why stay organized?

Clutter is annoying and it wastes time. I don’t like the way mess looks.

How does laundry get done in your home?

My step dad gets it in the washing machine and dryer and then I fold and hang my own clothes.  It is either in my parent’s room or I go get it and bring it into my own room.  Once it is on my bed, I separate it by shorts, tee shirts, and things to hang or things to put in drawers.  I hang each type of clothing all at the same time.  Its quick and I do it fast!

 What about your friends?

If my friends are unorganized, I help them organizing their rooms.  They get very overwhelmed.  But big thing is that they leave it all to do at one time.  I like to organize as I go along and as a process.   I do it in small steps so it is easier to do.  Just  a little at a time and then you get it done. Then you can do others things with your time.  One of the problems is too many clothes too.   I understand wanting to have enough clothes but only buy something if you are going to use it.   There is not so much to do at one time if you have fewer clothes. 

 What about organizing and other parts of your life?

I am organized about school stuff too and that is the key to success and good grades.  You have everything you need and you can turn it in on time.  If you are organized in class, you know what materials to study and you’re on top of your homework. 

What about stress and organizing?

Being organized is a lot less stressful and much easier on everyone. 

Do you consider yourself a perfectionist?

Not so much, just more organized than other people.  And everything does not need to be perfect but material stuff helps to be organized.

Are you born organized or did you develop this?

Of course my mom and you influenced me a lot.  

Anything else you would like to share?

Watch Hoarders and you won’t want to be them. Hoarders is enough to make you want to be organized. 

Thanks Hallie! You rock!

Emergency Preparedness

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emergency prepareness

 

Hurricane season has already begun! Ever since Katrina and New Orleans years ago, we are all on alert for the worst.  Our family is vigilant about hurricanes due to Ike as well.  We were without power for 14 days!

With this in mind, here is our family preparedness check list.  Not sure where to start? I suggest baby steps!  Organize your papers first in a fireproof safe. Make a plan depending on whether you are staying or going.  Take it step by step to be ready.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Prepare and check when daylight savings time begins and ends!

Communicate your family plan to another family friend or relative.

For paper documents, place originals in safe or safe deposit box and carry copies with you.

Social Security cards Bottled water ( 1 gal per day per person)
Insurance policies (Life, Home, Auto, and Flood) Snacks
Passports Travel food
Drivers License Ice
Immunization records Paper towels
Medical records Toilet paper
Medication Hand sanitizer
Birth certificates Candles
Checkbooks Garbage bags
Credit cards Tool kit
Debit cards First Aid Kit
Will Safe deposit box list and keys
Legal documents Tarp
Valuables (jewelry and keepsakes) Matches
Computer back up/ thumb drive Rope
Cash ($500 suggested minimum) Old quilts and blankets
Photos Pet supplies
Family phone book Kids: Card and board games
Tax copies Battery operated TV
Document carrier or safe Battery operated radio
Batteries Walkie talkies
Flashlights Flips flops/extra shoes
Duct tape Video camera & tapes of home
Propane tanks filled Cooler
Cars filled up Can Opener
Gas in cans
Cell phones and chargers

Here are some amazing websites for preparedness too!

www.redcross.org

www.ready.gov

www.beprepared.com

Organizing for Special Events

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Our family celebrates big and little events in life! Whether a birthday, anniversary or holiday, family traditions mean everything to us.  It is gathering together and enjoying our time that makes an event special.  And we like to keep things super simple! 

Create your team.  Special events are even more fun when everyone has a part in preparing. Set the date together with your family and talk about how each family member can contribute. Decide on all the required tasks, from food preparation to decorations, and divide and conquer.  Write all the dates on a calendar so that everyone knows when to get their jobs complete.

 Use the internet to send invitations.   Both www.evite.com and www.paperlesspost.com offer ways to invite your guests.   This inexpensive solution offers your guests the ease of response and keeps costs down. 

 The little things can make a difference. Get your playlist ready on your ipod and gather new scented candles for the kitchen and bath.  

 Food is an important part of the fun. Keep it simple with easy recipes and ready made goodies.  Fresh simple ingredients make it healthy too!  Prepared hummus and veggie chips, cheese squares, and fruit make for yummy summer treats. 

 Get prepared ahead of time.  Shop a week in advance of your party. Work backwards a day for set up of tables and decorations.  Prepare your goodies a day ahead and refrigerate or freeze.   

 The best part of keeping things simple is that YOU get to enjoy the party!  It is the real reason to gather people together.  Greet your guests as they arrive and encourage them to mingle and help themselves to goodies.   

 In the end, enlist a clean up crew so you are not the only one finishing up with the trash and dishes. Put on some fun music and keep the party going as you clear away the debris. 

Keep from reinventing the wheel for each event.  Start a celebrations notebook that includes a list of food and fun for each event.  What a fun new tradition to keep celebrations going!

Rejuvenation and Renewal

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Taking time to rejuvenate is something I share with all women.  We are constantly nurturing others and need to “put on our own oxygen mask first.”  This is exactly what I did this weekend as I attended my college reunion last weekend.

I am a lover of learning and am always eager to return to school. My Smith College reunion afforded me this opportunity in many ways. On Friday evening I attended a session on Supporting our Children with LD/ADHD as They Launch. Sharing information and learning from moms in the “trenches” was empowering to everyone.  On Saturday we learned from former Smith College President Jill Ker Conway about taking the next step as women.  It is all about thinking outside the box and finding ways and places to make a difference using our strengths and skills.  Our final speaker was writer Katrina Kenison, author of the gift of an ordinary day.   It gave each of us the opportunity to examine our focus as women moving through motherhood and onto the next step. You can tell the growth that occurred as women looked to each other to provide coaching to move forward.  

It was an extraordinary weekend of empowering each other.  I seldom saw others texting or using technology. Women were sharing how to connect on Facebook! We were all engaged in the lives of each other, where we are now and where we are headed.  Engaged women discussed politics, history, economics and the important details of homes, families and current events.  

And most importantly it was a fabulous family weekend.  My twin sister Ann and I both graduated from Smith, so one of the best parts of the weekend was sharing moments together.   Each morning we would take a brisk walk about the beautiful campus together.  It was especially meaningful to walk on campus on Saturday night during illumination.  

I want to encourage you to find ways to nurture yourself through the things you are passionate about! Learning from other women, supporting each other as we move forward, and being in an amazing environment is something we each need.  I would love to hear how you are making this happen in your life!

Six Steps to Summer Success

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Summer is just around the corner!   For our family that means time by the pool, time to relax and time for family fun!  The key to summer is knowing what works for your family.  

1.       Keep a routine that works.  Everyone still needs a good night’s rest and great yummy healthy food!   Delicious summer treats include berries and berry smoothies, low fat high protein hot dogs or burgers on the grill, and ice cold watermelon.  Keep bedtime routines consistent with a little later time, but still with a routine.

2.       Family fun includes fun place to go!

Houston Children’s Museum                www.cmhouston.org 

Houston Zoo                                        www.houstonzoo.org

Berry picking                                        www.pickyourown.org

Nature Discovery Center                      www.naturediscoverycenter.org

Lunar and Planetary Institute              http://www.lpi.usra.edu/

Galveston beaches

Area parks

3.       Let’s continue learning this summer too!  Visit the public library once a week, learn a new educational computer game, play chess, RISK or monopoly board games, plant a garden, or take care of a pet.  There are so many experiences to explore.  And don’t forget to include writing and math too in what you do, from baking a cake to journaling about summer travel.

4.       Swimming and summer are a natural! But also add in hiking, biking, walking, jogging, skating and other outdoor activities. Take advantage of cooler morning and evening temps for outside fun.

5.       Summer is the time for creativity.  Encourage your young artist with sidewalk chalk, water color paints, paper mache, crafty creations, and other artistic mediums. The wonderful aspect of creativity is that there is no “wrong” way to express yourself.        

6.       Include more down time in your week. The summer is the best time to kick back and relax. Take a break from the harried and hurried school routines by having more time for talking and just being around the house.   Have summer be the time for family and friend connections.

What are your summer success stories?