Woohoo! Thanks to a referral made by Candace Steyn, I have been invited to conduct an organizing presentation for the Northeast Christian Church MOPS group in Lexington, KY!

What: “Get Organized, Mom!” Seminar
When: Thursday, February 21st @ 9:00am
Where: Northeast Christian Church, Lexington, KY
Cost: Free!

The seminar will include tips on how to get (and stay) organized with children through all the stages—infancy, toddlerhood, preschool years, and beyond.

I will share plenty of practical tips and ideas including:

• managing schedules,
• maintaining accurate records,
• storing clothes, toys, and other children’s items,
• travelling with children (from shopping trips to long vacations), and
• cultivating your marriage and personal interests.

In addition, the MOPS moms have been asked to bring photos of the most cluttered (i.e., least organized) rooms of their homes. During the meeting, without knowing which photo belongs to which mom, each woman will vote on which room she believes should be deemed the “messiest.”

At the end of the organizing presentation, all votes cast will be tallied and the “messiest room” award winner will receive a 1-hour organizing gift certificate (a $40 value)! Plus, there will be plenty of free samples, door prizes, handouts, and ideas to take home!

I can hardly wait! Hope to see you there!

BTW: If you join us at the MOPS meeting, please stick around after the presentation to chat with me. Plus, mention my blog for a special bonus!

Courtesty of ParentHacks.com:

I had the kids make tags for Christmas gifts out of plain cardstock. We store all the gifts under the tree until they’re ready to leave the house (it looks so pretty!). To minimize time spent scrutinizing names on tags to make sure the staying / going gifts aren’t mixed up, all the gifts that stay at our home have green tags and the rest are red.

Additional Ideas:

1. Use a different colored tag for each family member: red for Mom, green for Dad, and white for Baby.
2. Add a photo of the appropriate family member to each gift tag to help young children quickly identify each gift’s recipient.
3. Customize printable gift tag templates that you find online @ Microsoft.com, Parents.com, or elsewhere.

Gift distribution on Christmas Day will be a snap!

Courtesy of Nina Restieri, creator of momAgenda and mom of four:

What if, in the last week before Christmas, you decided to cast off all the stuffy responsibilities, and commit to trading tedious obligation for carefree celebration? Intrigued? For a truly joyful holiday finale…

• First, go through your day planner and cross out anything that looks more like a chore than a chance to celebrate. Spend the time with your family instead. Holding your children close and feeling the sloppy kisses bestowed reminds you that the best holiday spirits are found at home.
• Second, instead of worrying about how you’ll look in this year’s trendy holiday dress, skip the style-slaving and opt for something soft or sparkly instead: a snuggly cashmere scarf or a shimmery pair of heels will have you feeling festive in no time.
• Next, forget about turbo-cleaning before the out-of-town guests arrive, and focus instead on adding a few welcoming touches to make them feel right at home: orange-scented incense on the mantle, extra-luxurious towels, a cozy fleece blanket. For such elf-like touches, your guests will surely forgive the fairy layer of dust on the window sill, or the broken toy from last year’s booty adorning the floor.
• Remember, sometimes the best Christmas present you can give your family doesn’t come in the intricate Martha-Stewart packaging your husband and kids could care less about anyway. The gift they’ll truly cherish is a mother who is well-rested, beaming, and has enough energy to get down on the floor and play with their new toys. On that note, why not give yourself an extra hour of beauty rest to compensate for all the busyness of the last few months? You can thank us when the holiday pictures arrive.