All mothers are working mothers. ~author unknown

Young mothers throughout Utah have hired me to help them figure out how to improve their children’s bedroom storage systems. I am currently working alongside 3 young mothers on their children’s bedroom storage areas. Maria in Springville needs help with her family’s playroom and children’s bedroom storage areas. Jen in Cedar Hills needs ideas for her children’s bedroom storage and was even more concerned with her downstairs playroom. Melissa in Sandy needs help with laundry room workability and her 5 children’s bedroom storage areas.  Some favorite products and a link to storage solutions are included below.

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2009 Family Reunion Fun

Organizing family reunion  fun is not an easy task. A systematic approach is helpful. In a previous article, I shared some tips for putting together a general master plan for family reunion fun.

In that article I promised theme ideas, favorite activity ideas and photos suggestions. I am a woman of her word. Here you go:

Family reunion themes for family reunion fun! – Your theme is what makes your family reunion fun and most memorable. Here are a few favorites my extended family have chosen the past few years:

• A Blast from the Past for family reunion fun: Meals = favorite meals from preparers childhood. Activity = ‘hide & seek’ or ‘no bears are out tonight’. (Be sure to assign a young child with an adult supervisor.)
• Where in the World for family reunion fun: Meals = country of preparers choice. Activity = go hiking and call it climb the Swiss Alps or do a swimming activity and call it Hawaiian fun.  
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Vicki’s 2009 SIBLINGS & families REUNION

The reason to plan family reunion fun is to reunite your immediate or extended family. Few of us live next door to our siblings or cousins like was done in the “old days”. Geography divides us. The main reason to plan family reunion (s) annually is that it brings your family back to once again grow together.

BEGIN TO PLAN FAMILY REUNION FUN WITH A MASTER PLAN –  The whole  reunion should be planned beginning to end by one family member. In my family, I and each of my siblings take a year to plan family reunion events on a rotating basis.  THEN we divide up the reunion responsibilities for the year. We typically assign out one meal and one group activity per sibling.  This plan, family reunion master plan I should say, is not overwhelming for the master planner OR anyone helping. Let’s imagine that YOU are the master planner for THIS YEARS family reunion. Before you begin to delegate, you should decide these things:

FIRST, decide on the type of reunion you will hold from these options:

• siblings only (your brothers and sisters)
• adults only, (your siblings and their spouses/life partners)
• everyone’s invited

THEN   Read more…

Studies show that children lose much of what they have learned during the summer school break IF their brains are not encouraged to retain. Organized summer programs for kids are now available at a very reasonable cost. The school year has come to a close. Are you wondering which summer activities will enrich your child’s learning while allowing them fun participation.

For the Utah area, here’s a link for Summer Programs filled with learning options at Organize Summertime Activities For those of you who live in other states, contact your school district special education or gifted and talented resource director about organized summer programs and learning options for your children.

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A loving daughter I did not know called last night to schedule a Mothers Day Gift of organizing for her Mom. The daughter informed me that her mother was a wonderful woman who was very competent and needed some help understanding 1) HOW to scale down and 2) HOW to manage her time so she could declutter. I will meet with them this upcoming week.

The key here is 1) understanding our attachment to things of lesser importance AND 2) prioritizing the time to make decluttering happen. Click her to see an example of our time becomes complicated.

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