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You Can’t Freeze Time, But You Can Record It – School Years Giveaway

by Jill
written by Jill

I pulled Kendall’s momAgenda School Years organizer out today to fill some information in and glue in a picture of him from k-3 (I’ve split the “preschool” page in 2 for k-3 and k-4). As it started to come together, I could imagine how amazing it will be in 13 years when it’s full to capacity with artwork and report cards.

I realized I probably won’t be too willing to part with it then. Hopefully Kendall will let me be the keeper of it for a long time. Oh sure, he can borrow it… borrow his memories, but I may want them back in my possession for as long as I live. I imagine I’ll thumb through it and think back to my Letter To My 51-Year-Old Self often, recalling how I felt at 31…

Please know, please remember that you tried to savor that time. Be at peace, knowing you spent late afternoons curled up with them on the couch, that sometimes you just sat and watched them move and run, that occasionally you took inventory of all the things they’d learned in the last week, and that you appreciated your time with them the best you knew how. Know that despite your very best efforts, there was no way to freeze time.

It’s the truth. We can’t freeze time, but we can do our best to record it.

I’ve openly admitted on here many times before that I’m the worst at this kind of stuff. The kids baby books are untouched. I’ve hardly begun putting together photo books for them. So I’m quite proud that I completely filled out everything for the first year of preschool for Kendall. Of course, I can’t start patting myself on the back for following through with something when there are 13 years left… but I’m hopeful.

This year, momAgenda sent me a School Years planner in one of their new, bright colors – grape jelly- for Leyna.

And now they want to give one to one of you. Enter in the widget below, and tell me how your parents recorded and passed on your school years memories to you to win one School Years organizer in a color of your choice. Good luck!

momAgenda sent me the School Years organizer to review at no cost to me. All opinions and pictures are my own.
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ParenthoodReviews

Back To School Means Getting Back To Organized, a momAgenda Giveaway

by Jill
written by Jill

It’s Sunday night. Kendall goes back to school this week. He starts k-4 (preschool) on Tuesday. I feel like this year is a dress rehearsal for the big time next year.

I can’t be taking him to Kindergarten 5 minutes late every day. I can’t be forgetting his school events and running home to fetch money and important papers I was supposed to return that morning.

It’s a struggle for me, this staying organized thing. Somedays I do okay… most days I’m treading water.

Tonight, as I have for the last week or so, I sat down with my new momAgenda Mini-Daily and wrote out my tasks for the next 2 days. It’s just another step toward mastering this “organized-ish mom” thing that I need to have a handle on before we’re dealing with Kindergarten.

I’m loving the format of the Mini-Daily because I find it easier to write just what I need to get done in the next 48 hours down, and that helps me feel less overwhelmed. I have a Home Office Edition that I use to write out long-term goals, future events and deadlines that usually stays right by my computer on my desk. My Mini-Daily can go with me anywhere, though, and it’s usually next to my bed… or in the playroom (which may be why there’s a lovely and enormous pen mark zigged and zagged all over the front of it already, compliments of budding artist Leyna).

I know many of you are gearing up for another year of organized chaos with back-to-school looming. I’m excited to hook one of you up with a momAgenda Mini-Daily planner of your own! Just follow the instructions in the widget below.

*Disclosure- momAgenda provided the planner for me to review. All opinions and images are my own.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This Much I Know- On Anxiety And Organization (and also a giveaway)

by Jill
written by Jill

Something has changed in the last month. Well, lots of somethings, actually.

The sun is shining, it’s warm, the house is full of glorious light, house projects are finally getting finished (only to start new ones, oh well), and I’m slowly digging myself out of the hell of anxiety that I’ve been living in for the last 9 months.

Life is not so overwhelming. Priorities are not so fuzzy. Impending doom is not so present.

That’s not to say I’m cured. I’m just coping.

And this much I know has helped:

Order, Control, Release

(click through from my home page to read more about how I’m coping and what I’m giving away)

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ParenthoodReviews

Get Your House In Order With momAgenda (Giveaway)

by Jill
written by Jill

Okay, confess. Are you feeling frazzled yet? I mean, I know this time of year is all about wonderment and joy and celebration, but it also comes with a huge side of over-worked, over-scheduled and over-committed.

You all know I love me some momAgenda products for getting organized, and I have an awesome one to give away to you, just in time to try to put your life into some sort or order before heading into the new year. It’s really the best momAgenda product I’ve given away so far!

Behold, the All-In-One-Folio, the MOTHER of all home organizers.

Inside, you’ll find super handy tools for organizing an entire household like a very large monthly calendar (2011 and also a 2012 to replace it with).

There are several sheets for you to fill out important information, birthdays, doctor’s info, even directions for the babysitter.

But, my favorite part has to be all the very sturdy, large plastic pockets that you can organize in a way that works best for you and your household. I finally have a logical place for all my coupons! (Extreme couponer, I am not, but I hang onto a few every month and have a heck of a time finding them when I need them.) I also now have a logical place to put paperwork that needs to be filled out and returned so I’m not sending it back with crusted mashed potatoes on a corner from that time that stack of mail was between my plate and the stove.

And no organizer is complete with out a place for notes and LISTS. I’m trying to put less demands on myself these days. My to do lists used to be 20 items long, and made me feel like a failure at the end of every day. Now? I simply strive for this:

Everything else is gravy.

Here’s how to win:

1. Leave a comment telling me where your favorite place to stash “stuff” currently is. You know, like do you shove everything in a junk drawer? A basket? In your fireplace… and then light it on fire?

Extra entries for:

2. Tweeting I’m getting organized with @momAgenda for the holidays! I entered the #giveaway @BabyRabies https://www.babyrabies.com/2011/12/5482/  #momAgendaCOMM

3. Following @BabyRabies on Twitter

4. Following @momAgenda on Twitter

5. Liking Baby Rabies on Facebook 

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. I’ll use Random.org to draw a winner Monday, December 12th.

Disclosure: I received a momAgenda All-In-One folio to review. All opinions are my own.

**Contest Closed. Congrats to Andrea, commenter #16, as chosen by Random.org!**

 

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I’m So Unorganized I Get To Represent momAgenda!

by Jill
written by Jill

So remember how I was all “OMG, my life is spinning out of control and I MUST find a way to organize it, and my laptop and cell phone are not gelling, and nothing is working, and AHHHHHPAPERPLANNERPLEASEHELPME!!“?

Well, I had some luck writing everything down with pencil onto my DIY paper planner, so I indulged in a momAgenda Desktop Planner shortly after. I immediately fell in love with it, used it for a few more weeks, and then Leyna was born. Then, all planning, paper or otherwise, went to crap.

I went back to my state of chaos and mental panic for a few months before I finally had a free moment to dust off the old planner, and around that time I saw an opportunity to apply to be on the momAgenda Council of Media Moms. I figured nothing would make me really dedicate the time to getting organized than to represent a company that helps women and moms do just that. My selling point on my application? That I am NOT organized, do NOT claim to be, and that I want to take my readers on my journey to organization with me since so many of you seemed to be interested in doing the same.

And guess what? They bought it. Yipee!! So now, your’s truly is on the fantabulous momAgenda COMM, alongside 8 other stellar bloggy ladies (who all are, I’m assuming, much more put together than I am).

Heather from Theta Mom
Beth Anne from The Heir To Blair
Kris from Little Tech Girl
Kim-Marie from The Luxury Travel Mom
Nicole from Momtrends
Michele from Scraps of My Geek Life
Toni from A Daily Dose of Toni
And Tara from Feels Like Home

I’ll be blogging a little here and a lot over there about my organization evolution. To get me started, momAgenda sent me a beautiful giraffe print 2011-2012 Desktop Planner, complete with my name engraved on it. I can not WAIT to use it, starting this August.

My favorite part about this planner are the spaces at the bottom of the week-at-a-view pages for me to jot down appointments for Kendall and Leyna and then to-do’s for this blog and Party Like A Kid (my 2 other babies).

Those fresh pages are just begging for my barely legible chicken scratch and drips of coffee and wine!

I really am very honored to be a part of the momAgenda COMM, and I’m looking forward to getting life under control this year. Maybe I’ll even have some tips to share with you all along the way. Although, with things like this, it always seems I end up learning more from my readers than you all do from me, so feel free to follow my journey and offer advice on what does or doesn’t work for you.

By the way, if you want to get your hands on one of these beauties (and you should totally spring to have your name put on it, in my opinion, because it makes it feel so much more official and like you can’t possibly shove it in a drawer and “forget” to use it), use the code BLOGMOM to get free shipping on orders over $45. I’m told it’s good through the summer.

Off to check off “announce momAgenda COMM on BR blog” from my to-do list!

**Disclosure- momAgenda provided my new planner to me at no charge

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