Posts Tagged ‘Parenting’

Party Planning…The good, the bad and the ugly!

November 14th, 2011 by Trish

Parties……..People seem to think that because I am an professional organizer, I automatically organize parties.  Nope!  This is a stress I love to live without at this stage of my life.  Sad I know, because when I throw myself into party planning mode, it can be a lot of fun.  However, it is all consuming, I fret about all the little details, I don’t relax because many other things get put on the back burner which really shouldn’t.  Sometimes I can’t wait for it to be over so that I can relax and get going with what really needs to get done in everyday life!!!  Am I crazy?  YES I AM! This is life!  This is what is important, getting together with friends and family is just one of our rewards for working hard. Maybe I should consider hiring an event planner, after all my reasons to avoid planning parties are the driving force for event planners.  My problem with this though is that I am a control freak and the event planner would probably fire me.

I think my daughter will end up being the party planner-decorating diva of the family.  She keeps me on my toes.  This year I was (more…)

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Back to School: Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

August 29th, 2011 by Trish

Back to School! Back to making lunches! Back to homework! ARGHHHHHHHH

This year there is no back to school excitement coming from me. ‘It’s the most Wonderful Time of the Year’ is not being sung by me. However it would appear I’m the only one as my daughter, Rachelle is excited about going into grade six. My youngest son, Max is going into grade five. My oldest, Jonathan is in his first year of University and my second son, Greg is enjoying the life in his second year of CEGEP.

Usually by this time I feel this urge of excitement for a new stage and getting back to an orchestrated routine.  No, this year I want more summer, more down time, more canoeing and lake time. I would welcome more time-freedom with no obligations.  Am I completely alone on this? (more…)

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All Busy Households Need A Calendar.

August 5th, 2011 by Trish

16 Month Wall Calendar

Before having children, I used to carry an agenda in my purse, checking it often and keeping it updated, but that all changed once I was home with a baby. Regularly checking my pocket calendar became a difficult habit to keep, probably due to my calendar shuffling back and forth between bags – the disadvantage of trading in my purse for a diaper bag. And the problem multiplied as the number of children in my household did.  Accustomed to using a calendar, but no longer at work where I’d routinely check it before starting my workday; I was completely lost. I’d forget appointments; I’d even forget what day it was! But worst – hours, days, weeks – passed so quickly that I’d also forget many of the little day-to-day things that I desperately wanted to remember. Never having been good at keeping a journal, I wasn’t all that good at keeping up with baby books either. And the guilt was eating at me.

But one year, for my birthday, that all changed when my parents bought me a calendar. Not just any calendar; a More Time Moms calendar – one specifically created with mothers in mind.  The squares were really big, with lots of extra space for keeping track of telephone numbers and information. Out of practice at first, I found a great central spot for it. Eventually, I was checking it every day and suddenly, (more…)

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Rained Out!

July 18th, 2011 by Trish

We have been experiencing an unrelenting period of grey skies and rain this summer.  One of the girls at the coffee shop optimistically told me that August will be better.  I hope so because it’s all we have left.  We’ve been trying not to let it get to us and so far, in spite of the rainy summer, the kids and I have come up with a few activities to pass the days. Try one of these activities or let us know how you keep spirits high when the rain comes.

1. Plan a Treasure hunt

This requires a little advance prep, but it’s always a big hit with kids. Stash clues around the house (adjust difficulty based on kids’ ages; use picture cues for little ones, tricky puns for older children), directing kids to hunt for a hidden prize.

2. Put on a Show

Help the kids stage a play or talent show. Give them a theme or opening lines to get them started or pull out costumes to get everyone started.

3. Go to Video

Film the kids’ Play or talent show and put it on youtube.  The kids will love it and it may go viral!

4. Bring the Outdoor Games inside

Play basketball with a soft foam or sponge ball, or just wad up some newspaper; the hoop can be any basket or receptacle (either hung on the wall or resting on the floor). Have kids shoot from different parts of the room or in different ways, in an indoor version of HORSE.

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What’s Robbing Your Time?

September 29th, 2010 by admin

Moms can be the queens of letting other people  waste our time.  We will wait for technicians, we will be put on hold with a telemarketer, we will listen to countless ‘not making a difference’ sob stories, we will wait forever at the doctors office. How can we change this?

Awhile back I started to make sure I didn’t create a rigid schedule so the ripple effect of one appointment lasting longer than expected doesn’t ruin the rest of the appointments. So if I know I am going to wait, I bring a book or something to work on like this article to do while I am waiting.  Having a few little snacks like trail mix or almonds or a protein bar will keep me from going psycho and prevent me from feeling that I let another person rob me of time from my life. Touching base with people we haven’t spoken with in a while is a great way to make the waiting time worthwhile.  Let’s create a little magic in all these waiting moments. Shouldn’t everyday be at least slightly miraculous? As much as this might be difficult to read; be glad, enjoy the waiting, in this hectic world.  Sometimes the waiting is the peace we need to think, ponder, dream and imagine……as long as we don’t have to hurry to pick up the kids afterschool!

So because we are rushing and waiting and growing anxious because we have housework or officework or errands constantly to do, is there a way that we can ease the load a little bit?

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Stop, Drop and Roll, Moms

September 22nd, 2010 by admin

One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure its worth watching –anonymous

Hmmm…Time management…..hahaha….have we mastered it yet?  Are we supposed to master it?

Seriously? Do we manage all of our time or is it better to structure our time enabling us to have the freedom to live life spontaneously. No, this is not going to be a piece on the art of organizing your time like preparing the kids lunches a week beforehand or laying out the kids clothing for the following school year!

What some of us have a hard time figuring out is how to live our lives as moms also for ourselves! Our worlds gladly revolve around our kids. It will for now, but with a caveat.  How about if we plan to grow with our kids, throwing a little adventure into everyday?

I am not necessarily talking about bungee jumping or skydiving but by all means go ahead.  I’ll be on EARTH drinking a margarita! Adventure could be nervously re-connecting with someone you haven’t spoken with in a long time or going on a canoe ride or snowshoeing through the woods on a white snowy day.  Or maybe it is trying some skate boarding with the kids. In my case, the adventure could be cooking in the kitchen!

Recently I was asked to write down my bucket list.  I struggled, but finally when I did write some things down; they were to see my kids grow up, see them married, have grandchildren etc.  But what were my own personal dreams?  Everything I put down was revolving around my children. Don’t get me wrong, my kids have made me grow in many ways…literally and figuratively.    So if I was to wave my own personal magic wand and nothing was impossible what would it be?

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Win the War on Bedroom Clutter: Confessions of a Teen

January 11th, 2010 by admin

The holidays are over and since the in-laws are coming over, YOU need to clean the house.  The only problem is that (surprise, surprise!) teens hate cleaning.  You’re tired of cleaning up after your messy teen but what are you to do? How can you get your child to clean?  And I don’t mean the “I’ll-hide-it-in-the-closet-because-no-one-would-see-it” kind of clean; no, how can you get your teen to neatly put away their things with minimal screaming contests?

Here are some quick, simple ways to get your teen to clean:

1. Closets – Let’s just face it; teens hate….no, LOATHE folding clothes.  Whatever we wear to school normally ends up in a not-so-discreet pile on the floor or stuffed in the drawers.  Hangers in closets get rid of the problem of the mess and works WITH your teen’s laziness.

2. Memo or cork boards – These are really useful if you are trying to get your teen to clear his desk.  “I can’t put these notes away; I need to see them everyday!” “Why should I put my friends’ pictures away?”  Memo boards come in all colors and designs; they can be mounted on the wall and be easily used.  Just insert the said pictures and “important” papers between the ribbons; it would be organized and your teen can see it whenever he looks up at his desk, which means LESS time rustling through notes.  Same goes for cork boards.

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Preparing for the Holidays

November 25th, 2009 by admin

SnowmanDon’t worry, it may be early to some of you but if you’re like me and everyday is filled to the gills, planning for Christmas couldn’t be early enough.  This year I decided to get ready a little earlier.  We have made the ‘what I call’ mistake in the past few years to put up the Christmas lights in minus temperatures. We pull out the ladders and I send my ‘always looking for an adventure’ husband on up in the hypothermic inducing temp to unfold the magical Christmas scene I have created in my mind.  Yes, Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year.  It isn’t just Christmas day, it’s the whole season. It’s the feeling I wholeheartedly embrace.

I have finally decided at my ripe age of 40 to let go of what is supposed to be the rule and just go with the flow of how everyone close to me is feeling.  The last thing my husband and I wanted to do on Christmas day last year was to spend half of it in the kitchen, so we didn’t even make a Turkey.  We went out for walks, dreamed, talked, and skated on the lake along with the kids tobogganing down our hill with just a few injuries. (Note for me this year, bring some helmets up to the lake) Coming in, sitting in front of the fire, watching a Christmas movie and munching on goodies made for one of the best Christmas’s I can remember.  Nothing was planned, nothing was rushed, and we embraced every moment, we were so present.

My goal this year is to create a similar feeling my family enjoyed last year…….what does that mean?  I NEED TO RELAX!!!  I am an organizer with a self diagnosis of OCD. I like things to be just so and I will waste time getting it just so to the point where I have sincerely missed out on some special moments others have clearly enjoyed.  This year the leader in me will let others lead the holiday…..to a certain point.

On a practical note, in addition to using More Time Moms Christmas Countdown checklist, I have decided to ask myself the questions I need answers to in order to have as much of a special stressed free holiday as possible.

Holiday Time Management

Before I plan the holiday activities, I need to check my Family Organizer.  Are children going to be involved in exams during the season or are the exams after the holiday? How about the kids activities around Christmas i.e. parties, concerts and plays.  What about their regular sport activities?  Do we have to go to all the events because I would like to do what we used to do a few years ago and drive around in pyjamas, yes pyjamas drinking hot chocolate and looking at all the wonderful Christmas lights!

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Posted in Family Fun, Organizing, Parenting, Seasonal | 13 Comments »

Top 10 Tips To Prepare for Final Exams and Midterms

November 24th, 2009 by admin

Final exams are approaching, and some of you might be wondering how to prepare. If you did well on your mid-term tests, then repeat what you did to prepare for them. Finals aren’t a lot different from mid-terms – they simply tend to cover more material, and are longer, some running up to three hours, versus the typical hour or hour and a half mid-term.

The extra volume of material and length of the exam can be tough on some students, but there are things you can do to prepare. Here is my top ten:
1. Get a good night’s sleep before the exam.
2. An absolute must if you can: get prior years’ exams and, with a small group of classmates, prepare point form sample answers to share among yourselves.
3. Review your notes to see all the items the professor indicated were important. In some cases, s/he might even have hinted at exam topics.

For the rest of the tips, view Top 10 Tips To Prepare for Final Exams and Midterms [Guest Post]
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My Child is Sick: Does He Have H1N1?

October 28th, 2009 by admin

The other day my youngest came home from school with cold-like symptoms.  Of course, I instantly wondered was this the beginning of the H1N1 attack on my home turf or was this just a common cold.  I haven’t even had the chance to take a stand on whether or not, I should vaccinate my kids.  I kept him home from school for a few days. After wading through a pile of information on the H1N1, I was able to conclude that he didn’t have H1N1 based on the following information published from the University of Calgary.  It is the clearest explanation of exactly what constitutes symptoms of H1N1.

(more…)

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