Yard Sale Virgins

Yup, we've been married for ten years, but my husband and I were yard sale virgins until yesterday. It's hard to believe we held out so long considering we have to move every few years, but we've always just packed up, donated, or thrown out everything each time. We're not moving again yet, but someone in our neighborhood decided to round up a community yard sale this weekend. We live well off the main drag, so we figured this would be our best chance to get good traffic to our yard sale. In spite of having no clue what we were doing, only weeks to prepare, and the fact that I was already committed to be out of town that day, we signed on.

Finding things to sell around the house and finding good information online about how to set everything up was relatively easy. (By the way, that's not OUR sign. I got that image off of flickr.com but I wish I HAD made it!) The actual cleaning, pricing, arranging and cleaning up around the sale was a lot - a LOT - of hard work. We knew it would be, so that was ok, too. What we didn't learn about anywhere ahead of time was the emotional toll it would take on us. No, we don't need no stinkin' therapy or anything like that. But there were a few unexpected sides to our yard sale that I want to share with other yard sale virgins out there, so that you might gain from our experience.

My mother would never, ever have a yard sale simply because she would be horrified at the mere thought of strangers viewing all her stuff. She's a very quiet, reserved Bostonian, and putting her personal effects on display would appall her. Well, I'm not that prim and proper (sorry, Mum) and I'm a bit more outgoing and hey, we live in the South, so I'm ok with people going through my stuff. Or so I thought. For the most part, I didn't mind. Most people are pleasant and respectful and well aware that they're at your home and these are things that meant something to you at some point. To be honest, no one was mean at all. But the first time a car slows down, eyes you and your stuff over, and speeds away - it's pretty disconcerting. It's kind of like being rejected by a stalker. Creepy.

Once the sale was in full swing, our kids couldn't resist coming out to play. We'd hoped to avoid this because they're quite young and it's hard to watch your toys going home with someone else. On the other hand, they really wanted to know what was going on, and we had prepared them for weeks by explaining it as a way of recycling. Kids today, even young ones, are remarkably "green", and naturally kind, too. They were great about sharing their things with other families. Every now and then a toy would appear that they truly loved and refused to let go. We removed those few toys from the yard sale without question, remembering that this was about cleaning house, recycling, and working together as a family - not punishment.

The final emotional surprise, for me, was the broad range of guests we had. Some were obviously well off financially and simply enjoyed browsing, others were specialty collectors on a mission, and then there were the truly poor families. It was remarkably humbling to watch a young mother try to choose the very best of your used toys for the two dollars she has. Toys that we spent far more than two dollars on so our kids could ignore and forget them almost immediately.

So would we do it again? Yes, we've already agreed to before our next move. It's a lot of work and we wouldn't want to hold a yard sale more than once every year or two. On the flip side, we found homes for a lot of our things, met a lot of pleasant people, and made a few "fun tickets", as Jimmy Buffett would say. We had the opportunity to work together with our neighbors and enjoy a gorgeous Saturday in May. It may be a while before our next one though - I think I'm going to spend some time appreciating what I have.

Mom's Secret Weapons

Last night our whole family "camped in". That means we unfurled the sleeping bags and lanterns in the living room, fired up the fireplace DVD (hey, it was pouring here and real fires are against neighborhood bylaws), and settled in together. My kids are little, 5 and 2, so they snuggle down in my double bag with me (hubby gets the air mattress). The cats curl up at our feet, and the dog passes out at our heads. It's a little goofy but really, how often do we moms get to enjoy the whole family snuggling up and sleeping in our arms? I treasure it all the more knowing each time may be the last time as the kids grow older and more independent every day.

Of course, being mom, it was up to me to turn off the "fire" after everyone fell asleep, and settle down the restless sleepers and nightmares one by one. At one point I even checked to make sure our old Maine Coon cat was still breathing (he was, rather huffily after I disturbed him, actually). So it wasn't surprising that at dawn, it was also me who heard the dreaded, "Voopa, Voopa, Voopa..." of a pet about to barf. With appropriately cat-like reflexes, I located said pet, our Tortie cat, Callie, and scrambled to intervene. The urge to purge had apparently stricken her while she was reclining on my ecru chenille rocker, because it was from this perch that she was presently heaving. I tried desperately to grab a nearby baby blanket to throw in front of her, but I was pinned down on both sides by sleeping kids, and the dog, sensing my panic, thrust his gigantic head in my face, blocking any forward movement. Callie, 1, chair, floor, two pillows, and my arm, 0.

Fortunately, I have a few weapons on hand for just these kinds of messes. After washing off my arm, I removed the pillow cases and threw them in the washer with OxyClean on the auto rinse & soak cycle. For the chair and the pillows themselves, I grabbed the Folex carpet cleaner. A few years ago I tried it on a rust stain nothing else had been able to remove. Folex got it out with almost no effort at all. Now I find myself reaching for it whenever I've got a soft surface crisis on my hands. The floor was the easy part, since she missed the carpet. For hard surfaces I use Simple Green, quick and easy.

By about quarter past dawn, the crisis was over. My toddler slept through the whole thing, right there in the middle of the floor. That's just fine with me, because all those products I reach for time and again are non-toxic. In spite of their more annoying attributes (like bulimia), we love our pets. Putting up with their messes is one way to show them, cleaning up with eco-friendly products is another. It's a good thing Mom's arsenal holds some great (not-so) secret weapons.

Keeping it in Perspective

Not long after my last post, I was offered a job opportunity I'd really, really been hoping to get. I was thrilled! I even did the little football end-zone happy dance in my office - the dog just cocked his head and looked at me like I was possessed. I dove right in and began work immediately, taking a megaladon-sized bite out of my new workload with enthusiasm and gratitude.

Eight hours later, the house was a wreck, the kids were hungry, and my husband was looking at me pretty much the way the dog had as I jabbed my hair sticks back into my dishevelled bun for the hundredth time. My Monday, my precious Monday, was shot. I'd gotten nothing done and had managed to create a new mountain of obligations on top of the old mess. I was stressed to the max, and all I could think was, "What have I done?".

So yesterday became my Monday. As a WAHM, I'm lucky to have that flexibility. And thank goodness I do, because when I did, finally, get my schedule together, it wasn't pretty. In fact, it was downright ugly. What I hadn't realized initially was that I had committed to at least 20 hours a week of work for this new job. Because the hours were completely self-imposed, I never scheduled them or took that workload into consideration. So there I was, horrified by a wonderful opportunity - what a miserable place to be! On Tuesday, I had to resort to some hard-core planning. Now, I'm a Franklin Covey girl from way back, and I love my FC planner, but this required even more planning. No, for those days or weeks when I can't get out of my own way, I take my planning to a whole new Type A level. First, I print off a hard copy of the week in half-hour increments using Outlook on my computer. It sounds complicated, but it's basically just a disposable weekly calendar. In this case, I did the next two weeks because they're going to be insane. Then I write all the hard and fast, concrete appointments on the calendar. Don't get too geeked out on me and run away here, but I have to confess that I color code all of my notes - work is orange, working out is lavender, my husband's items are navy blue, etc... I happen to be a visual learner with a photographic memory, so using colors really helps me. Obviously you don't need to take it that far. After I get all my color-coded appointments on the calendar, I go back and fill in all my tasks when and where they fit. That way I know there's a time scheduled to complete everything I need to do. Whew! This week's calendar looked like a flippin' carnival by the time I was done. It was so busy (and colorful) that my husband silently placed a glass of wine next to me after he saw it.

Did it help? Was it worth it? After all, I took a whole other day out of my week to replace the Monday I messed up, and the planning took about an hour to straighten out. It was absolutely worth it. In fact, I couldn't be here, writing for you this morning if I hadn't done it. Worse, I would have had another sleepless night and be reaching for the Alka-Seltzer by now. Not only do I now have all my responsibilities and obligations organized, but my family can see clearly what I'm up against in the next few weeks. Finally, the greatest reward for me was gaining a clear perspective. After crunching the numbers and seeing the schedule, I realized I can't find 20 hours a week to work right now. I realized that I was pushing myself much too hard, and that I could choose to work less (or at least start out more gradually) and spend more time with my kids. In two weeks, school will be out for the summer, two large commitments I have to work on now will have wrapped up, and we'll be cooking out with good friends on a sunny summer evening. Will the next two weeks still be busy? You bet, but now I can make it through with clear objectives and the finish line in my sights.

T.G.I. Monday

Ah, Fridays. Five o'clock happy hour, the whole weekend ahead, trading in work for fun for the next few days... yeah, right. Moms work 24/7, 365 days a year, so sadly, I confess, Fridays have lost a bit of their lustre for me. But Mondays are all mine, and I'll tell you how and why.

As I said, once you're a mom you don't get "weekends" anymore - you work every day. Weekends with the family or friends are great, but by Monday most of us are, well, we're behind on our work. Have you ever gone on vacation and left the house a mess in your rush to get out? Well, as much fun as weekends can be, most Mondays are like coming home to a house with dishes in the sink. If you're a working mom or a work-at-home mom, you have to contend with Monday headaches at the office too. No wonder everyone hates Mondays!

What's a mom to do? Well, I take Mondays off. Mondays are me-time in my book. I don't leave my house if at all possible. I don't schedule any appointments, or answer any calls. Mondays are for cleaning up the weekend's mess and getting all my ducks in a row to face the rest of the week. All I do is clean, organize and plan (okay, and write a bit, too). Even if you work full time outside of the home, you can do this. Just keep your calendar as open as possible. Sure, you'll have a few commitments, but so do I (someone's got to feed the kids). After you get in the habit of scheduling appointments or meetings Tuesday through Friday for a few weeks, you'll find yourself looking forward to the extra breathing room Mondays allow. If possible, take it a step further by setting up your email and voicemail to indicate that you're available Tuesday through Friday. Go ahead and screen those calls - who's time is it, anyway? YOU be the judge of what's important in YOUR life. In fact, after a few mind-clearing Mondays, you may find yourself planning your time so efficiently that you're more productive and less stressed throughout the week.

Could you choose another day? Yes, but I chose Mondays for a few reasons. First, the weekends really throw off my schedule, and by Monday I need to get organized again. Second, the husband and kids go back to work and school on Monday, so I've got more time to myself, more quiet, a fighting chance to complete a thought without interruption. Granted, I have a toddler at home, but it's still a much more calm environment than over the weekend. The third reason is that I want to make the best use of my one day "off". Mondays are historically horrible for trying to get anything done. Everyone and his brother are trying to reach the same call center, or get to the post office, or pay the same bills. Some companies will tell you point blank to contact them Tuesday through Thursday for the best service! Who wants less than the best service? Who wants to waste time on hold or in line? Not me. No, I'll call the cable guy on Tuesday, thanks, or return that package on Thursday morning. Finally, I like starting the work week with a clean home and clear mind. I am far more relaxed and optimistic about the upcoming week with a sanctuary and a plan to support me for the next seven days.

By Friday, I'm ready to kick off another crazy weekend. No matter what happens, I know I'll get it together again on Monday. Thank Goodness It's Monday!

*** Special thanks to BlingCheese.com for making Mondays look that much better - everything's better with Johnny.

Avoid Anything that Eats

Avoid anything that eats. Have you heard that old adage? If you never have a plant, a pet, or a kid, you'll save yourself lots of money and headaches. It costs $16,000 to own a medium-sized dog over his lifetime, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise a child from birth to 18 - college not included! Think those cute kittens are free? How about $80 at the vet, or $ 18 of cat food every few weeks. Even the plants will cost you. First you have to put them in something, then something bigger, and bigger, and in the meantime you have to water them, too. At some point, your cat will eat and barf up your plant, so you'll be shucking out more cash for carpet cleaner, too. Right now our $ 600 Dyson "Animal" vacuum is in the shop (again) so we had to spend another $300 for a "back-up" vacuum. I'm no neat freak, I confess, but even I can't go more than a few days without a vacuum in a house with 2 cats, a dog and 2 kids under six. I'll be using said back-up vacuum to clean up the shards and splinters of my bedroom door, which my "free" rescued dog just mauled. He just missed me (aw, isn't that sweet?). I can't imagine what it will cost to replace the door frame, since the cats have always focused more on destroying soft surfaces. I think I've curbed the spending for today at least. I put the dog outside, next to the cheap furniture. I'm almost certain he won't destroy that. Uh-oh. I think I see him eying the door frame there, too. I may have to intervene soon.

Of course, if you're reading this, you're probably already a mom. You're thinking, "Oh Great! Now what do I do with these kids? If only I'd known!" No worries. Although kids and other things that eat do cost us a lot of money, and time, and patience (and money, if I hadn't already mentioned that), they do bring something to the table. Love, fulfillment, purpose, and fun, just to name a few perks. It's sometimes hard to remember the intangibles when you're staring down the bills or cleaning up yet another mess, but if you stop and just take a moment to appreciate how much they add to our lives, I think you'll find the benefits outweigh the costs. Even big dumb dogs are worth it.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call the dog trainer about his bill and learn how to install replacement moulding around a door. Oh, $%$#@!, he's going for the window now, and I don't do windows!

Insomnia Cures You Can Use Tonight

"You have a toddler - of course you're not sleeping much. Here, have an anti-depressant. It will help you relax."

That's what one physician told me when I asked about my chronic insomnia years ago. If you're thinking that was a stupid response, you can guess what I was thinking! I've had insomnia as long as I can remember, throughout my life starting in childhood. My toddler was sleeping through the night perfectly well, and I wasn't depressed. It was exactly responses like that from the general medical community that kept me from even mentioning it to a doctor before. Since then, however, I've sought alternative solutions to help me sleep for several reasons. One reason is that the older I get, the more I need my beauty sleep. But the more serious reason is that I've since learned that many sleep disorders are genetic. My mum has never slept well, and now I'm watching my kids struggle some nights. I found myself looking for ways to help not just myself, but three generations of lousy sleepers.

How to Save Money on Sleep Aids
The link above details a number of non-prescription ways to improve your sleep. I think the holistic path is the preferred first option for most people. It's less severe and often less expensive than medical care. Discussed in the article are your environment and personal attitude toward rest, but be sure to check out the "related articles" section on the right for links to more useful information.

If you find yourself in need of medical help to get the sleep you need, the following article regarding talking to your doctor about a prescription may help you avoid the miscommunication I had with my doctor years ago. For many people, especially busy women, it's very hard to make our demands or needs clear. If that other person is an authority figure, like a doctor, it can be even more challenging, but it's vital that you're able to express yourself and get the true care you need.
How to Talk to a Doctor About a Prescription

Each person has a certain set of ideal conditions for quality sleep, so keep trying new options until you find the perfect combination for you. You don't just need sleep to function well and maintain your health, you deserve a good night's sleep. Sleep is when we relax and dream. No matter what other demands you face throughout your day, everyone deserves the chance to dream.

Sweet dreams.

Painless Planning

Planning comes naturally to me. I'm very organized. Okay, maybe I'm more of a control freak. Either way, planning, as I said, is a very natural process for me. Long before I settled on a time management system, my "to-do" lists were in neat outlined form, complete with Roman numerals and color coding. Now that I'm at home full time, I continue to use the same time management system I chose when I was working full time, B.C. (before children), even though the appointments and tasks are worlds apart. I begin each day by prioritizing my tasks and planning the rest of my day. I'm a pretty laid-back mom, but in order for me to have time to goof off with my kids, I need that daily structure.

Now my husband is not a natural planner. In fact, even when he does try to plan it's hard to follow through because his handwriting is so bad. We call it Jockimoglyphics. This spring, after over a decade of seeing my planner out on the breakfast bar every morning, he finally learned the technique himself. I've been very careful to keep my mouth shut and let him follow through on his own. Well, most of the time I keep quiet. Sometimes, though, I can't help nagging him. I mean, it's ...right... there! For followers of Dave Ramsey, I'm the Nerd, and he's the Free Spirit. When it comes to anything administrative, even if it's for his own convenience, he just can't stand it. And I can't stand to be without it.

So how do we bridge the gap? How do we plan together, so that we're on the same page, supporting each other's big goals and small projects, and not drive either of us mad? We do our weekly planning on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday it was gorgeous outside, so we brought our planners, the kids, the dog and a bottle of wine out on the back porch. Did it take a little longer than if we'd simply stood at the kitchen counter and cross-checked appointments? Sure. But we had a relaxed, pleasant afternoon, and we were able to discuss beyond the week's appointments. We talked about long-term goals and short-term challenges, and helped each other come up with solutions. I got my plan in stone and he got his leisurely afternoon.

Of course, it wasn't just that it was a lovely day, so this week's planning session was easier than most. The point is that we chose the best environment for the task. Maybe you don't have a yard, or a spouse. How about doing your planning at a coffee shop with great acoustic music? A small part of me permanently stuck in the 80s sometimes thrives in my SUV with rock blaring, too. Just make sure you're not driving and writing at the same time. The best setting will vary from person to person, and week to week. Experiment. Be creative. Invite a friend or two to join you and help each other find new solutions to nagging problems. Take a few moments to consider a favorite place or two you could do your own planning. Not only will your planning sessions be painless, they may well be more productive too.

Wishing each and every one of the mothers, grandmothers, and mothers-to-be of beloved children of both the 2 and 4 legged varieties peace and joy throughout this Mother's Day. You are all Amazing Women!

That Damn Grocery Bill

I have a friend who brags about getting 2 weeks worth of groceries for $ 53 and earning enough reward points in the process to do it again the next week. She's a lovely woman, really, but I just want to see an entire floor display of, say, Wheaties come crashing down on her when she tells me this stuff. I've tried the tips and tricks of those crazy coupon ladies who feed 11 families in their towns on a buck and a half a week, and I just can't do it. The coupons are always for stuff I wouldn't buy anyway, and that's IF some weasel hasn't stolen them out of my Sunday paper before I get it. And who determines portion sizes, anyway? Sure, I could feed my family for half the money if we only ate 6 ounces of food at a sitting... and it was mostly generic white rice. No way, not in my house. We're all lean, active, healthy people and we still eat far more food than most "serving suggestions" would lead you to believe is appropriate.

So every month I contend with That Damn Grocery Bill. In our house, I do the shopping and cooking for the family. I actually enjoy cooking. In fact, if money were no object (and when I lived like it wasn't, but it really should have been) I'm a total foodie. Therein lies my first downfall - I love to use really good, rare or novel ingredients. At this very moment, I have a 12 ounce, $ 5 bag of dried pasta in my pantry. Five dollars I paid for artisanal pasta for my children, who will eat any starch I throw at them. They don't care that it was made with three different organic vegetable juices or sun-dried. That's all me.
My second big failing in the store is the frozen section. I melt for convenience foods, and little "nibblies" that would be so tasty with the glass of wine I always seem to be craving by the end of my shopping trip. Did I mention I have a tiny freezer? I'm sure you're seeing this second issue becoming worse and worse with every sentence.
My final, and worst, problem with the grocery store actually follows me around everywhere - in my wallet. I use my debit card for groceries. I've even been known to use a (gasp!) credit card, although thankfully that's been a rare event for me. I can clearly remember my mother paying cash for groceries and thinking, "C'mon Mum, get with it - no one uses cash anymore. Duh." Now that I'm a mum myself and not an insolent teenager I'm thinking, "Wow! Mum and Dad have REAL money!"

There are tons of tips out there for saving money at the grocery store. As I mentioned in the beginning, I can't play the system right and make them all work for me. You'll have to try a few to find what works for you with your budget and location. However, if there's one tip I've found that's worked pretty much everywhere we've lived, regardless of the size of our family and income, it's to stick to the outside of the store. No, I don't mean don't buy food, although that would certainly fix the whole food budget problem for the few weeks you slowly starved to death. What I mean is only buy things that are sold on the outside perimeter of the store. That's your produce, deli, meat, dairy and bakery. You may have to venture down the first isle for grains, but that's about it. If you stick to these sections of the store, you'll be avoiding all the more costly convenience items, the pretty packaging, and the fancy stuff like $ 5 pasta. You'll also be eating very healthfully, too. The outside of the store is where the REAL food is. Try eating the real food, and you could end up with real money too.

Eat That Frog!

Not a real frog, of course, unless you're in Louisiana. The expression refers to tackling your ugliest, most slippery task first. Personally, I think frogs are cute, but even if you agree with me on that count, you have to admit that popping a live one in your mouth wouldn't please too many palates. Even Bear Grylls would rather nosh on something nicer. Hence the comparison between your most dreaded task of the day and eating a frog. If you start each day by eating your biggest frog, you'll find you'll be rewarded in several ways. First, you'll get it over and done with early in your day, so you won't spend the day worrying about it. You'll also be more likely to finish it, so you won't be stuck gnawing on that same frog all night and all the next day. Tackling your biggest task first will get your momentum going, too. All the following tasks will be smaller and simpler by comparison. Of course, you'll also start your day with a sense of accomplishment. You might remember that feeling from your time B.C (before children). The daily grind of motherhood leaves that emotion to milestones, few and far between. Eating your big frogs first can give you that much deserved boost of pride and satisfaction in your daily life.
I invite you to try this simple scheduling trick for just two weeks and see if you notice a difference in your days. It's just a matter of choosing which of your tasks is your "frog" and making it your A1 priority for the day. You don't have to add a thing to your hectic schedule, and I think you'll find you actually get more done and feel better about it at the end of the day. So go on - eat that frog!

Quick Tip for Disinfecting

Whether you're spring cleaning or making an extra effort to keep the flu at bay, one of the biggest headaches for moms is trying to clean all those toys. There's a mountain of them in most homes with kids, and they're covered with germs. If you have a baby or toddler, half those toys have been in their mouths, and of course little kids are the ones most at risk for catching infectious diseases like the flu. You've bleached everything you can, set the dishwasher and laundry to the "sanitize" cycle, and steam cleaned every hard surface in the house. Now what?

Last year, thanks to a Black Widow spider who shared both her venom and the staph virus with me ($#$#@! spider!), we had to seriously disinfect our home - toys and all. I finally found a way to make sure I hadn't missed anything. It's called a Safe Space Disinfectant Room Fogger, and it kills all the bad "bugs" you want dead. After you clean, you just turn it on and it fills the room (read: all the nooks and crannies) with disinfectant. It's used in hospitals, schools, and other public spaces, and for me, at least, it provided peace of mind. For more information on the fogger, see the attached link. For detailed instructions on how to disinfect your home step-by-step, see the How To article on the right.

A few hours of spring cleaning can save you and your family days or weeks of illness, missed work or school, and medical bills. With the tools and products on the market today you can tackle this worthwhile chore in no time.

http://www.safespaceco.com/

Stop Multitasking!

What? This woman is off her rocker. I can't get it all done now, so how the heck am I going to get anything at all done if I don't multitask?

Relax. I'm only suggesting you stop multitasking for a few minutes. Then you can go right back to doing a bunch of different things at once, I promise.

The problem is that we all have so many responsibilities and commitments to tackle. Without a clear view of the big picture and a good game plan, we spend our days burning all our time and energy on the wrong things, and in the end, we lose. Have you ever set aside a whole day to "finally clean up this mess", only to find yourself farther behind than ever the next morning? How many books have you started this year? How many have you actually finished? And how many years in a row have your New Year's Resolutions looked pretty much the same because you never have the time to take on the big goals?

In college we were all looking forward to making it to 27 so we could simply outlive Jim, Jimi and Janis. Now, though, with 27 long behind me, I really need a greater sense of purpose and accomplishment in my life to feel fulfilled. The transition into parenthood can be particularly hard on people who found a great deal of personal satisfaction in their work, and now find themselves home alone with someone who doesn't even sit up, let alone converse. I've personally been a SAHM, WAHM, and working mom myself at different times, so I know each situation affects the other aspects of my life in unique ways. How does it affect you? Why did you choose the life you're living at present? Do you enjoy your work, in or out of the home? How do you feel at the end of the day? How does your family feel?

Admittedly, those are some daunting introspective questions, probably not easily or honestly answered in just a few minutes. Baby steps, baby steps... Try sitting down somewhere quiet with your resolutions and your planner for just a few minutes. Turn off the phone, shut the door, stay up just fifteen extra minutes and compare your aspirations to actual days. If you don't have a planner or haven't written down your goals, just jot down two lists on a blank piece of paper: Someday, and Today. Now pick one thing, just one, from your goal/someday list that you really truly want to accomplish and could actually do so in a few months if you could find the time. What about that photography class you want to take? Or that IRA you've been meaning to set up for years? Now trade one thing on your daily/today list with that one thing from your goal/someday list. You've just made something important to you part of your real life.

You may also notice that there are a few other things you do every day that aren't really necessary, like taking out the trash every single day. Is it really full every single day? Probably not, especially if you recycle. How many hours a day do you spend online or watching tv? Both are enjoyable luxuries (especially now that you've found my blog), but treat yourself to only the best that each has to offer and limit your "mindless" time. Cross off one or two things for good and you've just bought yourself some breathing room each week.

There. In fifteen, maybe thirty minutes you just reorganized your priorities, eliminated several things that were wasting your precious time and started working toward meaningful personal goals. Who knew you were so powerful? I did. After all, you're a mom.

Welcome!

Thank you for coming to my blog on organizing and managing your home, family, work and life. As I sat down to write this evening, I was interrupted by my 2 year old, then my dog, then a help call for my volunteer work. My husband is working until midnight tonight, so I didn’t have dinner on the table at 6 and there’s still laundry in the machines. So why, you’re now wondering, would I take organizational advice from this woman?

Here’s why: I know what I’m talking about. After years of trial and error, I've finally learned how to balance my life, enjoy the present, and keep stress to a minimum. I'm healthier and happier than I've been since I was a kid. That's what I want to share with you.

You see, organizing your life isn’t about hooks for each child’s backpack being installed at the proper height and location (although that is a neat trick). It’s not about having a shelf-scape in your bathroom of 24 matching glass jars with pretty “necessities” displayed therein. Too many books and articles focus on these picture-perfect ideals, but few of us live lifestyles that support that kind of organization. Organizational management for moms is about keeping your home, work and family balanced and happy. I don’t know of any mom who would shelf-scape her bathroom, but knowing where to find the Mr. Bubble at 7 pm on a Tuesday is vital information.

If you’ve read over my profile, you’ve seen my experience comes from a variety of sources. Sure, I’ll write about useful home organization from time to time, but I’ll also address time management, balancing work and home, single parenting, keeping on top of all the paperwork it takes to run a home, managing personal finances, and even organizing your mind. I sincerely hope you’ll find my writing valuable to you and your family.

Namaste’