I love to shop!  There, I said it!  I would shop everyday if I could, even if I bought nothing, I’d still go just to peruse the aisles.  But let’s face it, shopping with kids totally sucks the fun right out of it!  There’s usually a small window of opportunity for shopping, and once you have exhausted every diversion to keep your children happy campers, that window closes, goldfish are dumped all over the cart, smashed into the floor by your cart wheels, and you dart for the door, before anyone realizes you are the cause of a less than pleasant shopping environment.  As a result of the aforementioned, I have become more and more accustomed to shopping online, over the years.  Christmas shopping is the best online, but I do admit to doing it year round, out of sheer convenience.  If you, too, are an online shopper, have I got the site for you!

Ebates Do you know it?  Do you use it?  For me, it’s kind of like a no brainer.  I have been using it for about 2 years now, and have received cash back (in the form of checks) totaling over several hundreds of dollars, just for going through their site.  Here’s how it works.  All you do is go to Ebates and create an account.  From there they have a list of over 900 stores you can go to, anything from The Gap, to Target, to Home Depot and The Container Store. You name it, they probably have a store for it.  Once you click on the store name, it directs you right to the store’s site, and you complete your transaction as you normally would.  Depending on the store, they have a “percentage back” that you get, anywhere from 1 percent to 20 percent.  Some of the percentages may not seem like a lot, but it adds up, especially if you do a lot of online shopping.  My thought is, if you are going to shop online anyway, why not get something out of it, right?  Everything 3 months they send you a “Big Fat Check” from all your transactions.  It’s that simple.  Also, if you refer a friend, you each get 5 bucks for signing up, with no limit to how many people you refer.  Again, no brainer!!!  So, log on to Ebates and start shopping!!!

Disclaimer:  While I am a huge promoter of shopping any way you can, please be warned that too much shopping may result in unwanted clutter.  Over zealous shoppers will be reported to D. Allison Lee immediately!!! 

Happy Monday!  As a way to try to pass on something useful to anyone taking the time to actually read my blogs, I am coining Mondays as the day to find “Jaime’s Jems”.  What’s a “Jem” you ask?  Anything out in cyberspace that I find particularly helpful (or just cool and interesting) in my day to day functions.

I was just asked today how I stay current in what’s new out in cyberspace, and to be honest, it’s a combination of having a husband who is very knowledgeable in all things technical (a geek, some may say), and spending way more time than I probably should on my computer!

My first “Jem” is a site called One True Media.  I had used it quite some time ago, and had forgotten about it, until just this morning.  I had a large grouping of photos of the kids that I wanted to share with my mother-in-law, and rather than upload the pictures and send them through Shutterfly or Snapfish (both sites I do use often), I thought I’d get a little more creative.

At One True Media, I can upload my pictures right from my computer, add effects and music, and make a video montage to share, for free.  If you want to add additional effects and features, or have it transferred onto a CD, you can do so, for a fee.  It’s a super user-friendly site, and it seriously took me about 15 minutes to create a cute, musical picture presentation of the grandkids to share with Nana, from a distance!  Check it out!

We all know that children don’t come with instructions, as convenient as it would be if they did. But one thing they do come with is an overabundance of STUFF! No matter what ages or stages your children are, I can say with great certainty that there are no shortage of items you will possess, as a means to keep your children happy and entertained. I can remember needing 2 cars to transport the gifts from a small baby shower my mom had for me. Two car loads, and my little bundle was not even born yet! And as your children get older and you perhaps have more than one child, you tend to accumulate more stuff, spanning different age ranges, to again keep your children happy, and yourself sane ~ okay, partially sane.

I can’t tell you how often I would look around at the items in my house pondering the question, HOW DO I ORGANIZE ALL THIS STUFF? Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to be highlighting several approaches and tips to organizing all the things that enter your home, as a result of having children. I am currently embarking on my own Project Organization and I am asking you take the journey with me, that is, if you are brave enough to confront talking Elmos and more plastic pieces than should ever enter one’s home in any lifetime.

So, are you up to it? Let’s get started!!!! I am going to take a Clean Sweep approach to this, minus hauling all your children’s belongings onto the front lawn ~ doing so could likely result in a very traumatic experience for the little darlings in your life. This may sound very basic, but sit down and go through everything. Yes, EVERYTHING! If it’s broken, has missing pieces or poses a hazard in any way, TOSS IT! If your child has outgrown it, no longer uses it, or quite frankly has never liked it from day he got it, it has to go. If you plan on having more children, you can pack away any items you can reuse for the future. When packing them away, make sure to label the contents so you know what’s inside. If you’re pretty confident the baby train has made it’s last stop, there are many options to getting rid of things that are in good condition that you no longer need. If you know someone expecting, or with children, ask them if they want it. You can also donate it to many local organizations in your area, and get a tax write off for it. Another option is to make a few bucks by utilizing sites like Ebay or Craigslist, which really aren’t as intimidating as they sound. There are even places out there that will take your stuff and sell it for you, if you don’t have the time or energy to do it yourself. Finally, put aside the things you want to keep. Don’t be a hoarder. If you don’t have a use for it in your home, as cute as it is, or as much as it reminds you of your own childhood, GET RID OF IT!

This first step is usually the hardest. Try to get past the nostalgia of it all, and be prepared going into it that it can and will be hard! Taking pictures is a great way to preserve memories, and it only takes up a minimal amount of space on your computer, instead of precious real estate in your home.

I think we have established a good starting point here. Once we get through this step we’ll be ready to move on to the “fun” parts, which will ultimately lead to creating a FUNctional space to play for you and your children. I do hope you’ll join me on this journey. Are you game? Let me know if you’re up for it, and how this first step is going ~ I really want to hear from you!

Everyone has been to or thrown a party at one time or another, right? Just last weekend I threw a Daytona 500 themed party for my husband’s birthday, and my sister-in-law suggested I blog about it. Okay, truth? What prompted her to say that was when she noticed, while I was setting up the food, that I had post it notes inside the dishes arranged on the table, noting what was going to be placed in each of them. Perhaps I should have removed the post its before any of the guests arrived, but I didn’t really think much of it. Doesn’t everyone do that? How do you know if you have enough dishes to serve your food, and enough room on the table to fit the overabundance of food that you’re likely to have?

While I absolutely LOVE entertaining, I do admit I turn into a crazy lady prior to every gathering, however big or small. Just ask my husband. He knows at what point to help out and take directives, and when to steer clear of my obsessing about the most minute details, that ultimately no one will notice except me, and my mom, of course, who is admittedly just as crazy as I am. Hey, I have to get it from someone, right? I have gotten a lot better over the years in my party planning, and have fine tuned a system that works well – the key to any successful party is PLANNING!

Theme

The first place to start is to simply decide what type of party you are having. What is the occasion? Is there a theme you’d like to follow? A specific character? Color scheme? Once you have a theme, all the other details will be much easier to decide.

The Details

When are you having the party? Date? Time? Place? How many people? What are you serving? Catering vs Cooking? Paper invitations vs. Evites? Know your limitations in planning the details. For example, if you know the last time you made those chicken wings, they took you 4 hours of intensive labor and tasted like burnt rubber, call the wing place up the road and order a tray. Or if you are working on limited time, and a strict budget, forgo the paper invitations and do an evite. However, if paper crafts are your forte, go for it. You’ll have super cute invitations, and most likely be likened to Martha Stewart for your effort and talent.

Start your lists

Now that you know the “whats”, you have to figure out “how”. I find it extremely helpful to create a list, several actually, arranged by things you need to do and things you need to purchase. For example, make a list of the food you will have, and from that make a list of either places to order it, or a shopping list of ingredients you need to make those items. A separate list might include paper products or decorations you may need to buy at the party store and goody bags (if it’s a children’s party). Include on your lists a time line too, a “by when” to have these things done. Don’t wait until the last minute, because unplanned things can happen, and it’s always best to have a cushion for the unexpected.

Get your house ready

If you are having the party at your house, be sure to give it a good cleaning, only to have to clean it twice as hard after the party is through. Remove clutter, and things you would not want misplaced. If children will be attending, remove toys with small parts that may easily become misplaced, and no doubt upended, when the children get a hold of them. Even better, have the party somewhere else and alleviate the mess!

Above all, have fun! Party planning does not need to be stressful, and anyone can do it. Don’t be afraid to solicit help from anyone offering, after all, it will be one less thing you have to do. You can take the pointers above and make them as simple or elaborate as you like, depneding on the type of party you are having. You don’t need to be a creative genius to pull it off, you just need a plan (and perhaps a few cocktails for your efforts) close by.

What are you celebrating at YOUR next party, and how are you getting ready for it? Do tell!

Party On!

A recent trip to the doctor’s office this past week, with a very miserable child, prompted me to write this next blog. Having kids, and just in life in general, it’s always good to plan ahead. It’s not always a guarantee that things are going to run smoothly, but it usually helps. Sometimes, however, you may not have the time to plan for every situation that may arise, and that’s why I find it extremely helpful to have my “bag of tricks” ready to go at all times. The central location of my bag, a black Kenneth Cole tote at the moment, though it does change often, is in the trunk of my car. I won’t mention what else is housed in my trunk, as it’s often the center of ridicule by my husband, who insists there could quite possibly be things living in there. But it never fails, when I pull out my bag of tricks at the most desperate of times, he remembers instantly one of the reasons he married me.

So what’s in a bag of tricks, you ask? Well, it’s kind of like a diaper bag, but way more fun! Infants don’t require a whole lot to keep them entertained. They are often easily amused by the people and places surrounding them. Have a pacifier or two accessible, give them a rattle or soft toy, and be sure you have a bottle or boob handy, and they’re good to go! Diaper bags are more fun to look at with their cute prints and patterns, then the contents they contain. But the older your children get, the more creative you need to be with keeping them entertained, especially when you’re in public and want to prevent a scene, or keep your sanity.

So, let’s start with a few of the basics, a few diapers and wipes, a travel pack of tissues and Wet Ones. I usually keep a change of clothes in the trunk (yes, along with the living things mentioned above) just in case. Portable snacks are also a good distraction, a juice box, some pretzels rods or goldfish, whatever your child likes to nosh on. Lollipops, too. Okay, not the healthiest of choices, but for those special occasions, or a good behavior reward, it could be just what the doctor ordered. Now that the basic needs are covered, let’s pack a little fun in our bag. The dollar store and the cheapie section in Target when you first walk in, are your friends. Get to know them! They are great for coloring books, stickers, art stuff, books, mini puzzles, even travel-type games. Look around, and see what you can find. Highlight’s High Five magazine is also great to throw in, if you have preschoolers. At the end of each issue, they usually have a portable game or activity that my son loves. And often just a notebook and some markers or crayons, washable, of course, can provide hours of entertainment. Tic Tac Toe, funny pictures, even just taking advantage of a teachable moment and writing letters and numbers can pass the time like you wouldn’t believe. Because these things are in your “bag” and they don’t play with them everyday, it’s like a new treat every time you pull it out. And if it’s fun, they will look forward to the activities the next time you’re out.

I am happy to say my bag of tricks worked wonders in the doctor’s office, and that my son is finally on the mend, after a very long week. Which brings me to a final “must have” in your handy, dandy bag of tricks. PURELL! Do you have any idea how many germs are out there? Never leave home without the hand sanitizer, or your Bag of Tricks!!!

What’s in you Bag of Tricks? I’d love to know!

We’ve all seen it! You’re in the grocery store picking up your weekly food fix, when right there in the produce aisle between the apples, and organic tomatoes you hear a child pitching the loudest fit ever! You try not to look. You try not to judge. While all the while thinking to yourself, how could a parent let their child act like that? But, what if that screeching child belongs to YOU?