Tickets for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially went on sale today! The 16-day event hosts the world championships in eight equestrian disciplines: dressage, driving, endurances, eventing, jumping, para dressage, reigning, and vaulting.

For the very first time in their 20-year history, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held outside of Europe… right here at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington… just a stone’s throw away from my current home in Georgetown!

If you, by chance, are planning to attend the largest equine sporting event ever held in the United States, you should definitely check out EquestrianHomeLeasing.com.

Although the 2010 WEG are expected to have over 500,000 people in attendance, the local area only has approximately 8,000 hotel rooms

OK… Exactly how is that going to work, you ask? Well…

The Barron-Slone Group of RE/MAX Dynamic Realty (whose office is located in downtown Georgetown, just minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park) has been working tirelessly in preparation.

Backed by years of professional real estate experience, The Barron-Slone Group has hand-picked a wide variety of local private homes that will be made available for lease to individuals, families, groups, and corporations during the 2010 WEG.

In addition to these extraordinary accommodations, The Barron-Slone Group has an extensive list of local merchants and service providers who are ready to show Central Kentucky’s visitors some real southern hospitality!

BTW, if you do find yourself visiting the Bluegrass, please get in touch with me… I’d love to meet you for lunch, recommend some of the best area attractions, and personally introduce you to Amy Barron and Carrie Slone!

Dropbox has to be one of my favorite finds ever! If you don’t already have a backup system in place for your computer files, you should definitely sign up for a free account.

Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and share files online. There’s no complicated interface to learn, it works seamlessly with any operating system (i.e., Windows, Mac, Linux), and it automatically makes sure your files are up-to-date.

Nowadays, our lives are on our computers. So, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be eternally grateful for the peace of mind that Dropbox offers (without you having to remember a thing)!

Plus, for those of us on a rather tight budget, the free account option is a lifesaver, providing just enough storage space for your most essential files.

Having your files (and all their revisions) accessible from anywhere in the world via the Dropbox website is a super-dooper handy feature for anyone who travels.

If you happen to forget to grab your final proposal before you leave home, it’s no problem! Just stop by the library and print a new copy! So cool!

The features as listed on the Dropbox website…

• Sync files of any size or type
• Share large files and photos easily
• Automatic online backup
• Access your files anywhere
• Sync between operating systems
• Track and undo changes to files

Michele Welsh, mom to three small children, is the creator of SafetyTat, the ultra-cool temporary ID tattoo for your little ones.

They can be purchased (a) customized with your mobile phone number, or (b) blank so you can write your cell phone number on them. SafetyTat, the highly visible form of identification (that stays in place even when wet), offers immeasurable peace of mind to parents.

SafetyTats are a great child safety identification device for: Theme Parks, Amusement Parks, Shopping Malls, Airports, Fairs, Festivals, Traveling, Museums, Zoos, Stadiums, Playgrounds, Site Seeing, Field Trips, Drop-off Birthday Parties and Play Dates, First Day of School, Scout Trips…anywhere you have kids in crowds.

In fact, you can even order customized SafetyTats for children with allergies or special needs. Perfect for those in childcare… Such a great idea!

Next time you’re packing up your suitcase for a much-needed vacation or business trip, consider using old buttons to organize your earrings… just push the wires through the holes and secure them at the back.

In fact, if you don’t own a fancy-schmancy jewelry organizer for your earrings at home, you can use this idea to keep pairs together in your jewelry box (or wherever else you store your earrings).

This week’s mission is to make a concerted effort to plan ahead!

As you very well may have noticed, there was no Monday Mission last week. I thought that I had planned ahead pretty well for my time away in Michigan and Ontario, but apparently, I didn’t!

My List :

• Set up e-mail autoresponder. Check.
• Add future blog posts to be published while away. Check.
• Pay all bills that will be due while away. Check.
• Pack suitcases. Check.
• Print out driving directions. Check.
• Arrange for overnight accomodations. Check.

So, what did I miss…??

Ha! Well, I neglected to make a plan for our post-vacation week! You know… the one where you’ve arrived home, exhausted from your travels, loathing to unpack and get back into your hum-drum daily routine…

Hence, no Monday Mission for last week, suitcases and tote bag are only mostly unpacked, still no food in the house (Amanda and I will be grocery shopping today), incomplete July newsletter taunting me from the Drafts folder, and the list goes on…

So, needless to say, my goal for this week is to PLAN AHEAD just a bit better. And, by putting my plan in writing and sharing it with you, I’ll be sure to stick to the plan (since I know you’ll hold me accountable). So, here it is…

• Today : laundry and groceries
• Tomorrow : playdates (daytime for Amanda and evening for me!)
• Wednesday : July & August newsletters (or one summer issue?)
• Thursday : dust and vaccuum
• Friday : shopping
• Saturday : update contact management database

So, what about you? Are you a natural when it comes to making plans? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your favorite tips or toughest challenges when planning ahead.