List of Ways to Afford Summer Fun

Head over to List Mama's new blog at its new home to read the newest post: List of Ways to Afford Summer Fun!

While you're there, don't forget to Subscribe to our RSS Feed so you don't miss any of List Mama's new posts.

List Mama Blog has a New Home!

Please check out the new look of List Mama's blog at its new home: http://listplanit.net/blog/

List of Things I Want My Mom to Know this Mother's Day

Being a mom myself has truly opened my eyes to the parent/child dynamic, particularly my role as the child. Although my parents told me they loved me on a daily basis, it wasn't until I became a parent that I truly understood the unconditional, heart-wrenching love that parents have for their children. By the time that I did begin to grasp the depth of their love for me, I became preoccupied with my own intense love.

1. Though my children will never be able to say the same of me, I enjoyed growing up in the same small town that you grew up in. I knew of the old house on Railroad Street. I thought it was pretty amazing that some of my classmates' parents had been your classmates. I went to the same Middle School and High School that you went to.

{My mom on a horse at the house on Railroad St}




2. You gave me some good advice when it comes to love, marriage, and sex. There are so many things you taught me that I still recall and rely on in my own family life. I am grateful for the times when you decided to impart a word of wisdom that may not have seemed relevant at the time, but I was grateful that I had those things stored away for when I needed them most.

{My mom on May 24, 1969}
















3. I like the kind of parent that I have turned out to be and I feel as though I owe you so much of that. My style, my gritted teeth through both anger and love, my silliness (come on, you know what I mean), and my fierce desire to demonstrate how much I love my children all come from you. The stuff that you passed on to me that I would have rather not been given, I'll save for another post (List of Things I Want My Therapist to Know :-)

4. Thanks for giving me a sister! I'm pretty sure Dad had something to do with that as well. Even though I didn't appreciate her when she was coming or even after she arrived, I know that life would be much lonelier without her.

{My mom, with Trina inside, and me}




5. This is kind of a funny picture. I don't remember you ever doing my hair, but what I do remember is the unfailing support I received. I wish I could have found a picture of you and me after a Cross Country meet or a Basketball game. When I look back on it and think about how you drove all over central Kansas and beyond to support me in all of my endeavors, I am humbled. I hope that I can show devotion to my children in similar ways as they grow older.

{My mom & 12-year-old me}



6. I've heard people say that parents should be parents and not try to be friends with their children. I understand the principle of that, but I think our friendship gave me a lot of strength. It gave me confidence and courage to do things that I would never have been able to do otherwise. I loved cruising Main Street with you. I love shopping with you. I loved being at the swimming pool with you. We had fun!

{Mom & Dad visiting me in college in 1993}




7. Through all of the stages of my life, I could count on you. It is so good to have people you know you can trust to love you and to love those you love most. It is the most wonderful, comforting feeling.

















I love you, Mom! Have a very Happy Mother's Day!!

List of Ways that Children Can Use Lists

So bear with me, this is not only a useful post for anyone who has children, but it is also a chance for me to think through the presentation that I am giving tomorrow morning to my daughter's 2nd grade class.

While I was away last week at the NAPO Conference, Campbell gave her "Share" (show and tell) about how her Mom's business is a website all about lists. Campbell's teacher (teachers know the value of lists - I know because I used to be one myself) proposed that I come in to their classroom and talk about how lists can be useful, even to children.

This is a brilliant idea. Getting a head start on understanding the many uses of lists and the way that lists can provide structure to complex situations is a truly valuable lesson. Once a child learns how to set up and organize their own lists, it will be a resource that they will be able to use for the rest of their multi-faceted lives. Here are some ways that lists can be useful to both children and adults.

1. as a Goal - lists offer an opportunity to write down the things that you want to do or attain. If done properly, you should be able to list goals and the steps that you will take to achieve that goal. (e.g. To Do Lists, Places to Visit, Cleaning Lists, Grocery Lists, etc.)
   
2. as a Reference - a list is a terrific way to provide order to a procedure or collection and then to be kept and used as a reference for the future (e.g. Clothing Inventory, Menu Inventory, Home Inventory, Babysitter Contact Information, etc.)
3. as a Time Manager - a perfect world would allow us to just come and go as we want and never have to look at a clock or schedule an appointment, but the real world demands that we create schedules and meet deadlines. (e.g. Timeline, Daily/Weekly/Monthly Planner, etc.)
   
4. as a Record - by making a list, you've taken something out of the realm of floating around in your head and put it in a more permanent location that never forgets. So often we place way more confidence in our own ability to remember than we should. (e.g. Memorable Moments, Checking Account Register, Exercise Log, Medications Tracker, etc.)
5. as Inspiration - brainstorming is all about making a list of possibilities. If we don't give the mind a chance to stretch when problem-solving, we may miss out on some terrific new ideas. (e.g. Wish List, Holiday/Party Planning Pages, Menu Planner, etc.)
6. as Instructions - taking a difficult task and putting it into a step-by-step format may be all a person needs to have the confidence to complete it.
   

Do your children use lists? Do they make their own lists? What lists do you think apply to children?

List of Highlights from NAPO Conference '09

In the heart of a winter in Maine, I signed up for the opportunity to exhibit ListPlanIt to the conference for professional organizers in Orlando, Florida. What I expected to gain from the conference was the exposure of a resource I was sure was a match made in heaven for organizers and their clients. What I hadn't expected was to discover "my people". Though I've never been a professional organizer, I felt like we had been cut from a similar cloth. While I didn't get to experience any of the sessions, there were still plenty of great things I took away from this conference.

1. The usefulness of Twitter - In February, I booked a room in the fabulous Caribe Royale where the conference was being held. The cost of the room was way more than I wanted to pay myself, so I put out a Tweet to Twitterville (i.e. a message to my Twitter.com followers) that I wanted a roommate. About 3 people said they were interested, and in the end I got a wonderful roommate from Bermuda named Anne Hyde. Not only that, but since I follow quite a lot of organizers, they were kind enough to allow me to tag along to the first ever Tweet Up (meet up in Twitter speak) POs on Twitter, organized by Scott Roewer. Not only did I get a terrific meal that evening, but I got my first introduction to the POs with whom I would be spending the next few days.
2. Two full days of exhibiting ListPlanIt to business savvy, no-nonsense organizers - In a business where the only contact I have with my customers is online, a chance for face-to-face feedback was invaluable to me. I was giddy to be in a place where it seemed the whole world had a love affair with lists.
3. A better understanding of professional organizing - What an amazing profession that can go into a client's home or office and give them not only the guidance but the tools needed to make real changes in their lives. These organizers truly care about their clients. They spent 3 days solid learning how to improve and expand on the services they already offer.
   
4. Saturday - After 2 long days of standing on my feet, smiling, and promoting ListPlanIt, on Saturday I slept until 8 a.m. (which I haven't done in years) and then laid by the pool and swam for 2 whole hours.

List of Steps to Perfectly Pulling off the Tooth Fairy

My eldest is 7 and has now lost 6 teeth, so I would consider myself a bit of an expert about the tooth fairy. We've experienced the wonder of a lost tooth, the eagerness to put it under the pillow at bedtime, the joy of discovering "the exchange" in the morning, and once, the confusion at finding a tooth but no money. Today, my son lost his first tooth. It was high time because he already had his adult teeth in. He has always loved sharks and enjoyed knowing that he had rows of teeth just like a shark. We've just sent him to bed and now I am left to rehearse my role.

1. Keep some cash in the house somewhere for tooth fairy emergencies.
2. Decide on an amount and stick to it. You think an extra dollar or even a few extra coins won't matter, but it will! Kids remember these things.
   
3. Try to discourage your child from putting the tooth in any sort of box or container before putting it under his or her pillow. It makes the switch more challenging.
4. Make the switch before you go to bed. If you wait until morning, you run the risk of forgetting or being too late.
5. If you do forget and your child comes in your room in the morning with tear-rimmed eyes and says that the tooth fairy didn't taker her tooth and didn't leave her anything (hmm, hmm), have her climb in bed with you and soothe her saying, "You must have awakened too early. Let's just lay here and give the tooth fairy a little more time." Meanwhile, send Daddy out to "make coffee". I'll bet that when the coffee is made, the tooth fairy will have made her visit.
6. Keep the tooth in a little container. I still have my baby teeth. Let your child decide when it is time to get rid of them.

Don't forget to take pictures! There are few things cuter than a toothless smile. Our tooth fairy leaves $1 for each tooth. How much does the tooth fairy leave at your house?

List of Exciting Things Happening Here

You may have noticed (or not) that List Mama has not been terribly consistent with posts in the past couple of weeks. Well, there are exciting things brewing around here that have kept me from posting as often as I would like. Just to keep you in the loop, here is what is happening.

1. ListPlanIt and List Mama Blog are merging soon. They are both getting a cool new look and will be found together on Wordpress. They will operate in much the same way, but will be snazzier! (Weekly To Do List to stay on track)
2. I am preparing to travel to Florida to show off ListPlanIt and its many uses at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Conference at the end of April. There is much to do to be ready. If you will be attending the conference, be sure to stop by booth #109 for something special! (Trade Show Planner, Packing List)
3. Anniversaries abound in May! My sister's 11th anniversary to her high school sweetheart is first. Then on the 7th, I will celebrate my 15th anniversary with my love and best friend. My parents will celebrate 40 years of marriage later in the month. And on the 9th, ListPlanIt will turn 2 years old! (May calendar, Birthdays/Anniversaries to Remember)
4. Mother's Day weekend will find me planning our Cinco de Mayo party and running in my 2nd 5K of the year. (Exercise Goals)
5. My baby will be turning 4 in about 1 month so it is time to start planning our family celebration of Claire. (Birthday Planner, Grocery List, Gift List)

Good thing for lists! I have so many that I am referring to in my wonderful Notebinder. I listed them above in parentheses. Don't give up on List Mama. Be sure to keep checking back - especially in the next week. You'll want to be among the first to see our new look and enter for one of the great prizes we'll be offering to kick off our Grand re-Launching!