momAgenda_blog

Win-It Wednesday

2010-09-01T15:34:37Z

It is Win-It Wednesday again, and today our prize will once again be one of our popular new Home Office edition planners in Zebra.
Today your question is: Now that school is starting, what are you going to miss most about this past summer? What made this summer special for you?
To enter, answer the above question on the blog, on our Facebook fan page, or on Twitter (use hashtag #momAgenda). Winner will be chosen at random and announced later tonight. Good luck everyone!

Organized But Not Prepared

2010-08-31T16:44:07Z

I did everything possible to prepare for today. Last night, I laid out his clothes, prepared a lunch and a snack, and readied his backpack. I got him showered and got his teeth brushed and his hair combed. I packed all his forms, the PTA paperwork and the emergency phone numbers and a cute picture for his desk. I even got his dad to read him a story.

This morning, I got him to eat a healthy breakfast, and I prepared my camera, and I made sure he wore matching socks and clean underwear. We were completely prepared.

But I wasn't prepared for those big brown eyes to look up at me as we walked toward the front door of school, and for him to say, "Mama, my stomach really hurts."

I wasn't prepared for him to tell me to stand far away from him because he was afraid he might start crying if I stood too close.

I wasn't prepared, when his teacher announced it was time for the class to go inside and start their day, for him to run up to me and almost knock me over with his big, strong hug and kiss. And then run back to his teacher and make his way inside with his class.

This morning, I was organized and ready, and so was my little 2nd grader. But we were not prepared.

How Do You Use Your momAgenda?

2010-08-30T18:46:15Z

A friend on Twitter recently asked me how I use my momAgenda to stay organized. I know that many, many of our customers have their own unique way of customizing their agenda so that it works for them, and I am really interested in hearing what you do that might be unique or different.

As for me, it's really pretty straightforward. In the monthly section, I schedule in my workouts (I later transfer those workouts to the weekly views). It may seem odd, but it was not until I started scheduling in my workouts consistently, that I actually started to do my workouts consistently! Now I get a lot of pleasure out of completing my workout each day and checking it off. I even check it off if it is a rest day! Here is my monthly view for September; I am training for a half-marathon in October so there a re lots of runs scheduled:

As for the weekly views, I put my personal and business appointments in the top half of the page. I make my weekly to-do list in the space on the far left that says "my week." On the lower half I put my kids names in each of the boxes and put their activities in the corresponding days. When any of their activities intersect with mine, I will write it in my section as well. For example, today Matt has football, so that's written in his box today. My babysitter will bring him there but I am picking him up, so I will write in my section, "5:30 - pick up Matt." Here is a weekly view from my day planner:

How about you? How do you use your planner?

5 Tips for Keeping it Together This Fall

2010-08-26T17:26:05Z

Do you feel like back to school season just might get the best of you this year? I know I do. Between trying to get all the paperwork completed, to squeezing in all the necessary doctor and dentist appointments, not to mention dealing with the haircuts and school clothes and shoes and sneakers and sports equipment... I could go on and on. This is easily one of the most overwhelming times of year for parents of school-aged children.
Here are a few things I like to do when I feel like I just can't take it anymore.

1. Prioritize
I can't stress enough the importance of knowing what's really important and letting everything else go, especially at this time of year. Go ahead and let certain things slide in September (for me it's stuff like getting the kids to do their chores). You just don't need the added stress.

2. Write everything down
We have so much to keep track of, especially now, that writing everything down takes on greater importance than ever. I write everything in my day planner, because I like having everything in one place, but you can also use a notebook or a mobile device with a note-taking feature.

3. Take care of yourself
You will feel happier with everyone in your life, from your kids to your partner to your friends, if you take care of yourself. Give yourself a little love, whatever that means to you. Light a candle, take a bath, go for a jog, take a yoga class, get a mani/pedi... do what works for you.

4. Set up a routine
As soon as possible after school starts, try to settle into a daily routine. It will benefit both your and your kids.

5. Designate a "launch pad"
Set up an area in your house for backpacks, shoes, coats, etc. Make sure the kids understand the concept that those items "live" in that spot, not on the kitchen floor or anywhere else. This makes it easier to find everything on chaotic mornings before school.

Those are some of my favorite tips for keeping it together during back to school season. What about you? Do you have any tips that have helped you in your life?

We announce our winner

2010-08-26T02:20:35Z

Congrats to our winner, Jennifer Kendall, who entered our contest on Facebook! Thanks to everyone for participating. We will host another giveaway next week!

Win-It Wednesday: What's Your Favorite Escape?

2010-08-25T14:42:58Z

The last 2 weeks of the summer, before school starts, have consistently been 2 of the hardest weeks of the year for me. The kids are no longer doing camp or any other scheduled activities, plus lots of their friends are out of town so play dates are more challenging to find. You might think it's the perfect time of year to spend lots of quality time with them. The problem is this is by far our busiest time of year at momAgenda, so that's not really an option.
So you could say I am stressed out this week. Fortunately, though, I have a favorite escape. Several times a week I lace up my running shoes, crank up my iPod so it's really loud, and hit the road for an hour-or-so long escape from reality. It is one of the few things I do that allows me to really and truly forget about everything that is going on in my life that is stressing me out: my guilt over my kids, issues at work, or whatever might be on my mind. I just close my eyes and lose myself in my run.
We all need and deserve a few guilt-free hours per week just for ourselves, no matter how many kids we have or how hard we work. Otherwise we can get burnt out which is not good for us or our kids.
My question for you this week is, what's your escape? How do you put your everyday stresses aside and get some "me" time?
Submit your answer in a blog comment, on our Facebook fan page, or on Twitter (use hashtag #momAgenda). Winner will be announced tonight, and will receive a momAgenda Home Office edition in Zebra.
Good luck everyone!

Dealing With A Little Rebel

2010-08-23T19:24:42Z

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend time with a close friend whose kids are the same ages as my two younger kids (10 and 7). She mentioned a few issues she was having with one of her kids; specifically, the child is an adorable little rebel who wants to do what he wants to do. He resists any type of structure that is enforced, such as bed time routines, time limits on screens, etc.
Now, the first thing I did was to point out that this child CLEARLY takes after his dad, who is at 38 still one of my favorite rebels in the whole world. I mean, we can all appreciate that a rebellious child is quite possibly going to grow into an adult who marches to his own beat in the best possible way. And if he decides to learn guitar, and join a band, well, the girls are REALLY going to dig him....
But I digress. At age 7, he really needs to be able to conform to a few restrictions in order to live in peace and harmony with his family. My advice to my friend applies not just to this situation, but to many others as well: PRIORITIZE.
In other words, decide what's really important, and then let everything else go. For example, make the rules that pertain to safety and health the ones that really matter. And consider giving a little more leeway on the ones that are not going to directly impact your child's health or safety.
As it pertains to her child, it might look like this: He must brush his teeth every day, but maybe the rules can be loosened with regard to computer time. Or, she could enforce an 8pm bedtime every night, but then give him one night per week to stay up an hour later.
Giving kids the feeling that they have just a tiny bit of control goes a long way toward getting them to play by the rules.

Our New iPad App Is Here!

2010-08-20T17:35:50Z

I am so excited today to announce that our new iPad app has been approved by Apple, and is now available in the iTunes store! If you'd like to check it out, click here.

Just to clarify one question we have been getting, this app is only for the iPad. It will not work on the iPhone. We are in discussions about the possibility of an iPhone app in our future, as well as Blackberry, Droid, etc., and I will certainly keep you posted on developments in that area!

Let's get started with the iPad app. You can view a month, a week, or a day at a glance. Just as in our day planners, the page views are easy and intuitive. Here are photos of the various calendar views:

A really cool feature about the app, that does not show up in these pictures because I have an older version of the app, is that if you input your zip code into the settings, your weekly and daily views will automatically populate the weather forecast. That's one of my personal favorite things about this app!

So anyway, each of the views features space for you and separate spaces for your kids (of course--this is momAgenda after all). The layout is very similar to what you would find in our day planners, with a pretty, subtle background color (you can choose blue, pink, purple, or green) and a quote in the upper-right hand corner of the screen.

When you first get the app, you'll want to set it up with each member of your family, so hit the "Family" button and then click on "Add a person." You will be prompted to enter their name, birthday, email address, cell phone number, and cell phone carrier (these two entries are important, as you will find out later in this post). You can add a photo for each family member, and that photo will automatically populate in that family member's space in the weekly and daily views.

To add an event, hit the "Quick Add" button and you will see a screen where you can choose which member(s) of the family that event applies to. You can also categorize the event (for example, sports, doctors appointments, etc), enter the location, the start and end time, and whether the event repeats. The event will then automatically populate the calendar views for the relevant family member(s) they apply to. It is all very quick, easy, and intuitive.

One of my favorite features about the momAgenda App is that you can choose an option to automatically send text message alerts to family members when they have an event coming up. I know that this particular feature is going to be very useful in my family, with 2 forgetful teenagers!

The last feature I'd like to mention is the "Notes" feature, which allows you to make lists and take notes, just as you would on a sheet of notebook paper. You can give each page its own title so you can keep your notes organized.

That's the overview... but there is much more of course. You can check it out for yourself, by visiting the iPhone App Store and downloading the momAgenda app for yourself! Hope you will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed creating it!

The One About My Teenagers

2010-08-19T18:16:08Z

The scene: My family room. Sitting on the couch with Andrew, age 14, and Jenna, age 12.

Jenna: Can I go to the movies with Caroline tonight? We really want to see Vampires Suck.

Me: You can't go tonight, but maybe we can all go together this weekend! I really want to see that movie too.

Andrew and Jenna: (eyes roll) Mom!

Me: What? What's the matter? You don't want to go to the movies with me?

Andrew: Mom, we are teenagers! It is social suicide to be seen at the movies with your mom!

Me: Really? It can't be that bad. I am not that embarrassing. Ok, tell me the truth. What would be worse: going to the movies with me, or eating a spider?

Jenna: (Pauses for a moment.) Would the spider be cooked?

Andrew: Spiders don't freak me out much, so....

Me: ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME?

Jenna: .... if it was caramelized, maybe it would taste sort of good, because everything tastes good when it's caramelized.... or even if it was lightly sauteed....

Me: That's it. They are officially teenagers.

Win-It Wednesday Question: For to-do lists, do you use paper or on mobile device?

2010-08-18T15:59:12Z

It is Win-It Wednesday again here at momAgenda! This time, we are giving away a Zebra Home Office planner. These planners are hot--they just came in 3 weeks ago, and we are already almost sold out! If you are looking for Hot Pink or Turquoise, unfortunately those are sold out already.
Here's your win-it Wednesday question: When you make a list, do you make it on your mobile device, or on paper? Or both?
Winner will be chosen at random tonight. Thanks everyone for participating!

Creating a Mini Office: Updated With Photos!

2010-08-17T17:38:35Z

Yesterday I wrote about various tasks I have taken on in preparation for back to school season. I tend to get into a nesting mode every year at this time, as our family starts preparing to go into school mode again. I know the chaos that is coming this September, and I want to be as prepared as I possibly can.
Yesterday, I prepared a "Mini Office" in my kitchen, and I am really excited about how organized this is making me feel! (What can I say, it's the little things that get me excited these days.) Now lest you think, "I already have an office, so I don't need this," think again! I am fortunate enough to have an office in my house, but my office has one issue: it is not in my kitchen, where I spend all my time. So when it's a hectic morning and I need to dash off a note to the teacher, I am not really inclined to walk over to my office, since I am probably trying to pack lunches and find mismatched sneakers at the same time.
Enter the Mini Office. I set aside a small amount of counter space (about 18" wide) next to where we keep the phone in the kitchen. Next to the phone, I placed a small basket filled with note pads and our school directories. Next to that I placed another basket filled with pens, pencils, and scissors. There is space in front of these baskets for me to lay out my day planner so that when I am home, everything is clearly visible and in one place.
I am anticipating that my Mini Office is going to make it easier for me to get the kids off to school in the morning, because I will be able to handle any unforeseen paperwork quickly and while multitasking!
My only question is, am I forgetting anything? What else would you add to the Mini Office in the kitchen?
Update: Many of you asked for a photo of my Mini Office, so here it is. Note that I have not yet incorporated all your excellent suggestions, notably the envelopes, stamps, and sharpies, need to make a trip to Staples! Anyway, here is my photo:

In addition, Alyson was kind enough to send a photo of her Mini Office, which she built into one of her kitchen cabinets. Brilliant! Here it is:

Here's another photo from Becky. I love how she put all her supplies in a pretty basket, it really makes the mini office look so pretty!

How do You Prepare for Back to School, Beyond the Obvious Tasks

2010-08-16T15:16:11Z

In my family, Spring Cleaning happens in August, right before school starts. I don't know what it is about the new school year, but my husband and I have been on a tear reorganizing our home to prepare for the new year.
And it's not just about buying lunchboxes and school shoes (although those items are, of course, necessary items on any back to school checklist). One of our projects yesterday was to get rid of all the mismatched and/or old storage containers (eg tupperware) and plastic water bottles. We went out shopping and found a low-cost line of BPA free storage containers and water bottles to replace all our old stuff. I wish I had taken a before and after picture because my cabinets look so much prettier now!
Here are a few more chores on my to do list for back to school, that might not be so obvious:
- Clean out garage so that we can actually find things, such as sports equipment, when we need them.
- Organize the kids' rooms, and especially their desks, to ensure they are homework-ready with clean writing spaces and lots of school supplies handy.
- Make a list of the kids' current favorite lunch/snack/dinner foods and start a new meal planning cycle in my day planner.
How about you? Beyond the more obvious tasks, what do you do to prepare for back to school?

Did You See Our Products on The Today Show?

2010-08-05T15:37:21Z

We are excited to announce that our School Years product was featured this morning on "The Today Show"!!! We are grateful to our friends, Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase, of the fabulous blog CoolMomPicks, for choosing School Years as a back to school must-have item.
We LOVE that Liz referred to School Years as the "lazy mom's scrapbook." That is EXACTLY the point and we could not have written better copy than that! School Years is for moms who don't have time or energy to scrapbook, but want to save the key essentials -- report cards, school pictures, and a couple of writing and/or art samples -- in one place.
Here is the online mention, and we will soon have a clip of the segment in case you missed it.

We Announce Our Winner

2010-07-30T16:03:08Z

Congrats to the winner of this week's Win-It Wednesday competition, Amy Childs! Thanks to everyone who participated, and check back next Wednesday for another contest. Have a great weekend everyone:-)

Win-It Wednesday! What are your must-pack items for vacation?

2010-07-28T15:00:24Z

Happy Wednesday everyone! It is once again time for Win-It Wednesday.

This week I am thinking about vacation. So many of us are gearing up for some sort of getaway during August, whether to the beach or to a more exotic locale. Packing for family vacation takes almost as long as the vacation itself, even if you use our handy packing lists:-) . I will never forget the ski trip we took when Jamie, our youngest, was about 2. We forgot to pack his "blankie" and I am not exaggerating when I say he barely slept for the entire week. It made for a vacation that, quite frankly, I would be happy to forget.

There are certain items that are absolute musts for me: my laptop (of course) and blackberry (ditto) so I can continue being President of momAgenda even on vacation. And I won't even leave my house for a trip to the grocery store, much less a vacation, without lip balm (I am addicted). There are many more but I won't bore you with my long list.

So here's your Win-It Wednesday question: What are your top vacation must-pack items?
Enter to win by commenting on the blog, on our Facebook fan page ("Like" us first), or on Twitter (use hashtag #momAgenda). Winner will be chosen at random Friday morning. Winner receives a Desktop momAgenda in winner's color choice.