15 questions to ask your school Principal

I am absolutely in love with my Son and Daughter's school. I feel good dropping them off every morning because I know they are receiving the best education possible. I'll admit that sending my son to public school next year has me in a bit of a panic. If his current school went beyond Kindergarten, I'd find myself back at work so I could afford tuition. Considering the costs associated with private school, we're going to give public school another shot. I have extensively interviewed elementary school principals in the area and would like to share some of the questions that have been helpful in my interviewing.

1. What is the mission and or philosophy of the school and administration?
2. How does the school rank within the district? What about withing the state? Are there any biases or errors in the state's method of testing and evaluating schools? How does that affect the scores of the school you're interviewing?
3. What is the school's biggest strength?
4. What is the school's biggest challenge?
5. How are students placed in classes? What about placement within the class such as learning groups?
6. What is the average class size? What does the school do to make up for larger class sizes?
7. What is the PTA like? How is parental involvement?
8. How does the school address a child that falls outside the norm? If the child is struggling, what steps are in place to insure that the child doesn't fall through the cracks? What approach is taken to keep an exceptionally bright student challenged?
9. What can your child expect in an average day?
10. What are the learning objectives? What should children know when entering the appropriate grade and what skills should they possess before moving onto the next grade?
11. How does the school handle bullies?
12. What is the Principal's approach to discipline?
13. How does the school prepare the students to be lifelong learners and good citizens?
14. What kind of technology is available to students and staff?
15. What reading and math programs are used? *** This is a really good thing to learn and research later. Understanding the programs will allow you to teach and enrich your children at home.

Next, tour the building. Is this a place you would like to go to school? Is it clean and safe? Are the children happy or does it feel like the military? Are there colorful, educational charts and art on the walls? Do the classes seem to be under control or are they total chaotic? What about the teacher's desk? Is it clear and organized or a heap of papers?

Finally, do your homework before you go. There are several great websites that can give insight about your school. Interview several schools within your district. If local districts allow transfers, consider interviewing outside your district. If, after your interviewing, you still don't feel comfortable with your options, consider researching private and homeschooling options.

http://www.greatschools.org/

http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?year=2008-09(Washington state statistics)

Cookbook clutter

If you're like most people, you could use an extra cabinet or two in your kitchen. To save space, photo copy the recipes you use most and put them in a binder. Give the cookbook to a friend or donate it. This is also a great idea for magazines that you've had laying around the house for ages.

Reclaim your laundry room

Is your bedroom floor decorated with various, half filled laundry baskets? Do you find yourself frantically digging through clean laundry to find a pair of socks for your kids in the morning? Here is a simple system that worked for us.

Rather than do laundry in two large loads, consider washing according to room or person. To save water, remember to set adjust the settings to the proper load size.

An empty laundry basket or hamper in every room will make laundry a breeze. Wash only one room at a time. Fold the laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer and take it directly to the room it belongs in. Enlist the help of your children if they're old enough to help. It's never too early to start a good habit.

Looking for a great book? Try Jane Porter!

I've decided that Fridays will be set aside for reviews. Today, I 'd like to tell you about a great book. Everyone I have suggested this book to absolutely loves it and continues to read all 3 in the series.

Odd Mom Out, Jane Porter

I love local authors so it should come as no surprise that I instantly fell in love with Jane Porter, an author who lives in Bellevue, WA. Jane has written several Harlequin romance novels but started writing modern day books about the struggles we go through as women and as mothers. I found myself laughing out loud as I read her book, Odd Mom Out.

Are you a mother? Have you ever felt like you're supposed to drive a certain car, wear your hair a certain way, dress in particular styles, attend every PTA and school function on the calendar, cook gourmet meals and keep your home like Martha Stewart? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to show up to one of those PTA meetings in combat boots, a black leather jacket thrown over your shoulder and your harley parked out back? Meet Marta Zinsser from Odd Mom Out. Marta is an advertising executive who moves with her 9-year-old daughter from Manhattan to Seattle. Marta and her daughter find themselves living in an exclusive area of Bellevue, Washington to find that Marta's particular style isn't accepted. Bitchy, backstabbing, insecure women do their best to make Marta and her daughter stick out and feel as unwelcome as the H1N1 virus in a Ped's unit.

Jane does a wonderful job developing her charters and plot. I felt instantly connected to Marta and grew to hate the mothers and other children that seemed to be constant bullies. Marta's young daughter Eva does everything she can to be accepted, to be normal. As Marta struggles to juggle caring for her sick mother, pursuing a career, having a personal life and motherhood, Eva slowly starts to learn that life isn't about being normal but about being true to yourself. This book gently reminds women that it's okay to be unique and to go against the grain.

Check out Jane Porter's website to learn more about her and her books. I highly recommend reading Odd Mom Out, followed by Mrs. Perfect and Easy on the Eyes. Jane will release her 4th book in this series in August 2010.

Eww... I hate meatloaf

"Mom, what's for dinner... ewww! I hate that. I want something else!"

Sound familiar? Does it seem that you have become a short order cook? Your kids want one thing while you and your spouse want something completely different. Here are some helpful hints when it comes to harmony at the dinner table.

• Have your child list his or her favorite meals. Include two of these in your weekly meal plan. If there's something your kid absolutely loves that you absolutely hate, it's okay to make something different for you and your spouse.
  
• Include your kid's in meal preparation even if it's something as simple as setting the table. Involving your kids helps them feel in control. If they are choosing to eat what's put in front of them, rather than being forced, it's going to be a smoother road for everyone.
• If it's on a stick or you can dip it, it's a hit! Veggies on a stick? Veggies on a stick with ranch dressing? What a hit!
  
• Be sure to space out snacks and drinks so your kids come to the table hungry. Try not to give snacks more than 2 hours before dinner.
• Set realistic expectations. If your child tries a few bites of everything, recognize the effort. While I'm not an advocate of deserts every night or a "clean plate club," a small incentive at the end won't hurt.
• Try these fun ideas with your kids to get them involved.

1. Pizza (have your kids make their own pizza, either a large crust or individual English Muffins).
2. Baked Potato night. Have several condiments and toppings available.
3. Pasta night. Make a few different sauces, meatballs, different shredded cheeses, etc. Your kids decide what to top their pasta with.
4. Taco bar
5. sliders (mini burgers) with a choice of toppings and condiments
6. Sloppy Joes or shredded beef sandwiches (put a beef roast in a slow cooker all day with 1/4 cup marinade. Remove the roast and shred with a fork. Return it to the slow cooker with another 1/4 cup marinade and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, slice some baby reds and an onion, season with salt and pepper and saute until golden). Combine it all to serve as hash or serve the beef on Kaiser rolls. My kids loved this last night!
7. Salad wraps
8. Breakfast for dinner (backwards day)

Try shredding some zucchini or carrots into the spaghetti sauces, hamburger mixtures or pizza. Do it when they're not looking and see if they notice! Serving yogurt, applesauce, carrots or cottage cheese as a side will keep the meal nutritious.

What's for dinner?

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
It's 4:00 and your family asks, "What's for dinner?" You make a mad dash to the pantry and stand there just waiting for an idea to pop into your head... nothing! You turn to the refrigerator and find a bottle of ketchup, some yogurt and some eggs. Your response, "pizza is on the way!"

While it might seem time consuming at first, planning a week's worth of meals and shopping one day a week is the way to go. Here's how to get started.

Create a list of 10-15 meals your family eats on a regular basis. If you don't have this many, just list what you can think of. Here are some of my favorite recipe websites:

• http://allrecipes.com
• http://foodnetwork.com
• http://epicurious.com

There are several ways to do the next piece of this meal planning process. If you're computer savvy and think in Excel like I do, read the following ideas. Otherwise, skip over these to the next bold item.

1. Using excel, make a worksheet for each recipe and put the title on the tab. Insert a blank worksheet in the beginning of your workbook for your weekly meal planning.
2. Make a master menu. Vertically label cells Monday-Sunday. Next to each day/date, list the name of the recipe you'd like to serve. Consider the activities you have that week. If you're going to be home late, consider a crock-pot recipe or something you can prepare ahead of time. ***It's also a good idea to use fresh produce early in the week before it spoils. This is the only time I might make a second trip to the store in one week.
3. Next, copy the ingredients of each recipe and paste them into your worksheet.
   
4. Spend a few minutes at your local grocery store and take note of the store's layout. Write down the aisle headers to better help you organize your grocery list.
   
5. Sort your grocery list by aisle to make shopping a breeze. Using the copy and paste features in Excel will make this process fairly easy.
6. Be sure to shop your own pantry and refrigerator before finalizing your list. This will save you lots of money in the long run.
7. Consult your coupons. Look through the big stack and see if any of the coupons will apply to your weekly menu. Some might start with the ads first, basing the meals off of the sale items.
   
8. Post your menu somewhere in your kitchen. I like to post mine inside a cupboard so it's out of sight. It's important to do this so you don't forget what you bought all of your ingredients for.
9. Don't forget to add the items you'll want for breakfast and lunch. Double check your other supplies like paper, cleaning, storage, etc. and note them on your list as well
   

Technophobes, here's your strategy:

1. Create a recipe book on the most commonly used recipes. Try to include at least 15 recipes so your mealtime doesn't get monotonous.
   
2. Make a master menu for the week by choosing 7 recipes and assigning one to each day of the week. Keep your schedule in mind. If you're going to be late one night, consider a crock pot recipe. ***It's also a good idea to use fresh produce early in the week before it spoils. This is the only time I might make a second trip to the store in one week.
   
3. Start your grocery list by dividing your page into the various sections and aisles of your grocery store. Taking a few minutes to note these aisle headers the next time you're at the grocery store will make this especially smooth.
   
4. List your ingredients according to the sections and aisles of the grocery store.
5. Shop your pantry and refrigerator to make sure you don't duplicate items you already have.
6. Consult the ads to see if any of them apply to your menu for the week. Some choose to start with the ads before choosing the weekly menu.
7. Post your menu somewhere in your kitchen. I like to post mine inside a cupboard so it's out of sight. It's important to do this so you don't forget what you bought all of your ingredients for.
8. Don't forget to add the items you'll want for breakfast and lunch. Double check your other supplies like paper, cleaning, storage, etc. and note them on your list as well.

Making copies of your menus and the coordinating lists can save you time in the weeks to come. Be adventurous! Try to add a new recipe every week. I have 30 recipes I use so we don't repeat very often.

Overwhelmed? Here's a website that does most of this for you.
http://www.e-mealz.com/
If you don't have your own recipes, this site is for you. I have used it for two weeks and I like it. There are a few drawbacks. First, there is a cost. It's not expensive but you will pay $15.00 for 3 months. Secondly, you can't include your own recipes so your lists might need slight modifications if using your own recipe in place of one of the suggested meals. Some of the meals take quite a bit of time. While there might not be a lot of hands on prep, some of these meals require starting them 9 hours ahead of time in a crock-pot or over an open flame. Finally, from what I can tell, you can't swap out recipes if there's one that doesn't particularly appeal to you and your family. The grocery list does list the grocery items with the meals they will be used for so these modifications aren't too terribly difficult to figure out. Keep the menus and be sure to make a copy of your grocery lists before going to the store and covering them in your notes. Keeping these hole-punched and in a notebook will allow you to use them again and again.

Additional ways to save time and keep your refrigerator stocked:

• Hire a milkman. If you live in Western Washington, consider Smith Brothers.
  
• Don't forget your Farmer's Markets and fresh produce delivery. It might be an extra stop but you'll be supporting local farmers while getting the freshest produce available.
• Keep a freezer in your garage. Making double batches of your recipes is a great idea! You never know when a snow storm, or a long day at the beach if you're lucky, might keep you from getting to the store.
• Make a run to your local Costco or Sam's club and stock up on some frozen dinners. Yes, I know, it's not what Martha Stewart might suggest but these meals can save you if you're caught unprepared. We have been pleasantly surprised by some of the newer meals available.
• ALWAYS boil your chicken carcass! This makes excellent chicken broth that's sure to cure a cold. If you're really on top of it, chop up a few stalks of celery, an onion and some baby carrots to make chicken soup. Freeze it until you're feeling under the weather and it will feel just like Mom brought over chicken soup!
• No time to shop? Use your list to shop at an online grocer. Some stores might charge a few dollars for this service but it's fast and easy. It also keeps a person from making impulse purchases. Shopping online allows you to more easily stick to a budget! Most sites total your cart as you go. If a recipe is getting expensive, you can quickly delete the items from your cart and choose something less expensive like a pasta or hamburger based meal. These options usually more than cover the cost of delivery making online grocery shopping worth consideration.
  

Hey Mom! Top 10 ways to take back your morning...

Before I begin, I must say that my heart is with the people of Pune India today. A bakery was bombed over the weekend and 2 of my husband's co-workers were killed. We have a picture of my husband standing in the former doorway of the bakery just a few months ago. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families involved in the terrorist attack.

Are your mornings more about survival than watching the sun come up? Is it all you can do to get your kids fed, dressed and out the door on time? Here are some tips to make your mornings go a little smoother.

Take back your mornings!

1. Hang a rack on the inside of your coat closet, pantry or laundry room door. Hang the kid's coats and school bags on the rack so you know where everything is in the morning. If your kids are little, keeping this rack up high is a good idea. When it's in reach of little hands, coats tend to disappear.
2. Lay out kid's clothes the night before. How many mornings have you spent battling with your 3-year-0ld that wants to wear a sundress when it's 30 degrees outside? Take a few minutes before bed every night and lay out an outfit the two of you can agree on.
3. If you live in a 2-story home, bring the essentials downstairs. As the parent, make it a rule that you personally will be dressed from head to shoes before coming downstairs. Be sure to bring their outfits downstairs with you. It's a good idea to have toothbrushes upstairs and downstairs for the kiddos. I also keep a kit with rubber bands, a hair brush, water bottle and hairspray so I can tackle my daughter's hair... when she lets me.
4. Give each child a clock-radio. Purchase alarm clocks that have a battery backup in case your kids like to unplug them like mine do! Most children wake up better if they do it on their own terms. Set the alarm on radio mode and have it go off a few minutes before you really need the kids to get out of bed. This will wake them up slowly so you're less likely to have a cranky kid that refuses to get out of bed in the morning. As a special note, make sure the clock is set correctly every night and NOT on the weekends!
5. Set deadlines. Time how long it takes to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, get in the car, etc. Keep this in mind as your morning progresses. Here's an example. I know that it takes my kids about 20-30 minutes to come downstairs and eat their breakfast. I set their alarms for 6:45 and give them 15 minutes or so to adjust to the day. They must be downstairs by 7. By 7:30, breakfast is done and the dishes are in the sink. At 7:20, they get a 10 minute warning, then a 5 minute warning at 7:25. Whatever isn't eaten by 7:30 goes in the sink. I allow a generous 15 minutes for the kids to get dressed. By 7:45, both kids have had their teeth brushed. By 8:00, we're relaxing for 10 minutes. I use this time to review their calendars and make sure their bags are packed. By 8:10, we're in the car and off to school. By setting these deadlines, your morning doesn't get out of control. I hate timers because they create anxiety but it might be helpful to use and egg timer or two the first week of establishing your routine.
6. Get the kids dressed after breakfast and after brushing their teeth. There's nothing worse than being all dressed up only to drop yogurt or smear toothpaste all over your shirt.
7. Do as much as you can the night before. Make lunches, pack bags, lay out clothes, clean your sink and run your dishwasher. Unload your dishwasher as the kids eat breakfast so you have a nice, empty dishwasher for the day.
8. Do you have extracurricular activities? Have a bag ready to go for each activity. Hang another rack on a different door than your coat and bookbag rack. We have a bag for ballet, one for gymnastics and another for t-ball. If feasible, have two outfits for each activity. This way, when you return from an activity, you can throw the dirty uniform/ outfit in the wash and put the fresh and clean outfit directly back in the bag. No more wasted time spent searching for that hat or t-shirt. A shoe rack somewhere in the garage can help keep sports related shoes together.
9. Don't get sucked into electronics! Use your caller ID. If the phone rings, only answer absolutely essential calls. Resist the urge to check your email or jump online.
10. Set up a reward chart. If your kids are not morning people, the previous 9 tips might be easier said than done. By setting small goals for your children, they will be more motivated to cooperate with the morning routine. I've seen some mom's use this chart as a way to earn video game time, an extra story at bedtime or a trip to the dollar store at the end of the week. Remember to keep the goals age appropriate and give them lots of opportunities to accomplish their goals. Do your best not to reward with food.

Never forget an important date again!

My friend Jen is amazing about sending cards. I don't think she's ever missed an important date. Heck, she even thinks to send cards for occasions that would never occur to most of us. Receiving a handwritten card in the mail is a refreshing break from all of the electronic forms of communication we're bombarded with. In an attempt to be more like Jen, I loaded outlook with every important date I could think of. Setting reminders on my blackberry would keep me from ever missing a birthday again. Wrong! Turns out you can hit snooze on a reminder just like an alarm clock on a blustery winter morning. After all, the reminder doesn't put a card, postage and addressed envelope in your hand!

Developing a card system

Supplies

• Expanding wallet (12 month pendaflex style folder like the one shown above)
• Postage stamps (forever stamps)
• Addresses and calendar information for the important people in your life
• It's easy to find a plastic expanding wallet at your local dollar store. Look for one that has at least 12 tabs in it. Label each section by the months of the year. Leave a pocket in front for extra cards that you'll keep on hand for emergencies.

• Next, create an excel spreadsheet of all the important dates you'll want to remember. How crushed would you be to lose this important information on your phone or computer? Make two copies of this and put one in the front of your file and take the other to your local Hallmark. If you want to really dazzle the world, keep the second listing for your local scrapbook store and hand make all of your cards!

• Take your list with you to your local card shop and purchase the next 6 months worth of cards at once.

• Bring the cards home and immediately address the envelopes. Do not seal the envelope or write out the cards until the day you send them. Write the date of the event in the upper right corner of the envelope. A quick flip through your cards will show you which ones need to be sent out. This information will be covered with a postage stamp later. Keep your forever stamps in the front of the file so you are never with out stamps.

• It's a good idea to keep several blank and general cards in the front of your file. Sympathy, congratulations and thinking of you cards mean the most when they're sent out in a timely manner.

• Check your file the beginning of each week and send your cards 5 days in advance so they're sure to arrive on time.

Stop Thief! Stopping theft and identity theft before it starts.

"Hello. This is American Express. There has been fraud on your account. Please call us immediately."

Ever gotten a call like that? It's enough to make your heart stop. Your head begins to spin as you contemplate how your security was breached. It's anybody's guess who ripped off your credit card or what other private information is floating around.

According to a recent Javelin Strategy & Research study, the number of identity theft cases skyrocketed in 2008, taking nearly 10 million cumulative victims. The sad truth is if it hasn't happened yet, you're likely to be targeted at some point. Here are some tips to avoid being an identity theft target.

Lock your mailbox:

Does your mailbox lock? If it doesn't, get a PO Box and have all of your important personal documents forwarded to the new address.

Social Networking email account:

What email account do you use for facebook, myspace or other social networking sites? Are your passwords different? Many times people use the same email address and password for everything. Consider opening several email accounts, one for online purchases, social networking sites and personal emails. A popular facebook scam is for crooks to create false applications which require a user to "re-log on". Once they have your password, they have access to all of your friends, profile information and pictures. They spread desperate rumors that spark fear about your well being and whereabouts. If you list your email on your profile page and your passwords are the same, they now have access to your contacts in your email. If you use a specific email account only for your social networking, be sure not to store any contacts in this account. This will make it harder for a virus or crook to affect your friends.

Use online bill payer:

Most banks offer free online bill payer services. Not only are these incredibly convenient, the checks are drawn off of the bank's account and not your own. Your account information isn't put out there for just anyone to get their hands on. If you do use checks, put the extras in your safe deposit box or personal safe in your home. Stop using checks if at all possible. Your signature, address, account and routing numbers are all in one place. If you must write checks, don't ever include your driver's license number, social security number or the full account number of the payee anywhere on the check. Do not keep your checkbook in your purse or wallet. Keep one or two checks folded and hidden in your wallet or purse. That way, if your purse is stolen, the thief isn't running around with all of your checks.

NEVER put your social security number in your wallet:

All a thief needs is a combination of your social security card, driver's license or credit card to create a new, fake ID with your information on it. A dear friend of mine made this mistake. Her purse was stolen and soon, she had the police at her door. It seems the thief sold her information to several people who rented cars in her name and used the cars to commit crimes. Not only that, credit cards and lines of credit were issued in her name but, unfortunately, not for her use.

Run your credit reports every quarter:

Many states mandate a free credit report from each agency per year or more. Staggering these reports among each of the 3 credit agencies will allow for a free credit report every 4 months. www.annualcreditreport.com

Have different credit cards and keep them secure:

While you do expose yourself to additional risk with each credit card, it's important to have a credit card for online purchases. Most sites are safe and secure but there are still many that are not. Using one credit card for online purchases will allow you to quickly identify a purchase you didn't make.

Using a separate credit card for travel is a good idea as well. Your risk of credit theft is especially high overseas. If a charge is made when you're not travelling, it will stick out like a sore thumb. Additionally, examining the exchange rate on overseas purchases will be especially helpful if all of the charges are isolated to one card. Consider cards that do not charge fees for foreign transactions and ones that offer special travel protection such as American Express.

Lock your glove box:

Imagine you're on your way out of town for a 2 week vacation in the Bahamas... we can dream right? You park your car at the airport, grab your bags and your off. Now, what if there's a car thief lurking in the lot? All he has to do it bust your window open and grab your insurance card. Now, he has your address and knows you're out of town. If he's especially clever, he might also gain a garage door opener or a hidden key to your home. If your insurance company will allow it, use a PO box as your insurance address. While a thief can bust through your glove box, this is one additional step you can take to make it a little tough for him. Still not satisfied? Take your insurance card with you on vacation.

Mum's the word:

Do not advertise that you're either going on vacation or that you're already on vacation. While your facebook friends will enjoy hearing about your poolside margaritas, you're exposing yourself to theft.

Make copies of your cards:

Take a copy of the fronts and backs of all of your credit cards, driver's license and passport. Keep a hard copy in the safe deposit box or home safe. If you choose to have a home safe at home, make sure it is a good and heavy one. The worst thing a person could do would be to group all important documents and valuables into one place and make it readily available to a thief.

While travelling, be sure to keep a written record of the phone numbers for the credit cards you're travelling with. Keep this record in your suitcase (do not put your account numbers on it) so it's waiting for you if you purse gets stolen.

Hide your mail:

Do not keep mail in your car or visible from your car windows. This includes magazines. Again, if someone breaks into your car, he/she has your address.

Stay mysterious:

Limit the amount of personal information you put on the internet. While it might seem harmless, putting your child's first and last name in a school directory is one more piece of information a person has to rip off your identity. I used to be big about not publishing phone numbers and addresses but this is public information. If a crook knows how to search public records your address is as good as public. Do you really want just anyone knowing where your sons and daughters go to school?

Putting your full birthday online isn't a good idea... remember the discussion about social security cards in your wallet? It's the same idea. Listing your place of employment is another piece of information often needed on credit applications. Don't publish this information if at all possible.

Make your office your home... sort of:

When traveling, put your business address on your luggage. If your luggage gets into the wrong hands at your destination, there's no way for a networked criminal to notify his/her buddies of your vacation plans.

Guard your Social Security Number:

Do not use your social security number unless you absolutely have to. Most doctors' offices ask for this information but don't really need it. Leave it blank. If a school requires your social security number as an ID number, ask if a different number can be used instead.

Don't give personal information over the phone:

If your bank or credit card company calls with an urgent message, hang up and call them back. Many thieves will call and pose as your credit card company to gather valuable information. Something like, "can you verify the account number" is a huge red flag. Even a legitimate credit card company will most often only ask for the last 4 digits of your credit card.

Shred it:

Shred credit card offers and other mail that contains personal information.

Go Paperless/ Opt out:

If your bank and credit card companies offer paperless billing, it reduces the chances of your account information being stolen in transit. Be sure to tell these same companies not to mail you blank checks.

Freeze your credit:

You can place a temporary freeze on your credit which will make it difficult to open new cards or accounts. There may be a fee for this so make sure you understand the implications of a credit freeze before blindly signing up.

Set up a decoy:

If you know you're going to be in the city or an area subject to pick pocketing, make sure your purse zips all the way on top. Wear the bag across the front of your body. This will make it substantially tougher to rip the bag off your shoulder or slash the bottom out. My favorite tip was to create a "mugger's wallet." This is a wallet filled with fake information in the event you're ever forced to hand over your wallet.

Travel lightly:

Carry only what you need. Keep only one or two credit cards on you. If you're out of town, leave your house keys somewhere else but make sure to never check them with your bags. Keep your passport in the room safe if you're staying at a reputable hotel.

Hopefully all of this information will prove to overkill and you'll never fall victim to theft of any kind. Being overly cautious can save you hours of work and heartache. Once your identity is stolen, your credit score is at risk which can keep you from securing lines of credit, insurance and even employment. It's worth the extra effort to makes sure you're safe now.

A simplified filing system

Has your "to-file" box exploded? Mine used to be an endless pit of bills, receipts and important tax documents. Whenever it would be time to re-finance or file my taxes, I'd spend hours going through my box, swearing I'd eventually get around to filing everything. It's difficult to know which bills to keep and which ones to toss. The internet is making it easier than ever to track everything online. However, requesting a statement older than 18 months can be time consuming and expensive. I tend to hang on to all of my bills just in case. My filing cabinet got rather full and soon, my system was out of control. Then I discovered this easy way to keep track of everything.

12 month filing system

Supplies

A filing cabinet or box

Hanging Pendaflex folders with labels

1. 12 of the same color
2. 2 red
3. 1 of the same color for each automobile you own
4. 1 color folder for every member of the household
5. 1 of the same color for each pet requiring vet visits and other services
6. 1 additional folder for Legal Documents

• Your first file will be one of the red ones. Label this "Bills to pay". Whenever you get a bill that you don't have time to pay, slide it into this folder. When it's time to pay bills, go to this file, pay the bills, mark them as paid and file them in the month they are due. It will be obvious when a bill is unpaid. Don't worry about setting up a system to indicate the due date. If a bill is in the folder, pay it. Bill payer is great for this. I especially love bill payers, such as BofA California, which will allow you to post date your bills.

• Next, label the 12 folders by month. Start with the month you're currently in. Move this month to the back when the month is over.

• Next, label your second red folder "taxes". In this folder, store everything you'll need for your taxes. This might include donations, mileage, unreimbursed business expenses, tax/ investment statements, etc.

• Label the automobile folder(s) by the types of cars you own. Keep all maintenance records in this file. It will prove to be very valuable when it's time to sell your car.

• Finally, each family member gets a file. Important documents go in these folders. This might also be a good place to store vaccination records for your children but be sure to place a copy in their school station notebooks that you learned about yesterday.

• It might also be a good idea to have a file for insurance policies and other important legal documents. While I chose to file these in my safe deposit box, having a copy on hand is never a bad idea.

When the New Year comes, take your monthly files and combine all of the contents into a manila envelope labeled for the past year. When it's time to file your taxes, all of your documents are ready to go in one easy place. Keep your auto, pet and personal files the same but flip through them to see if there's anything you need to get rid of. I've also used folders for "upcoming events" for things like wedding invitations, vacation planning, etc. Some might choose to include this in the Mom's notebook for the school station we learned about yesterday.

Hello World!

I find myself constantly saying, "I so had that idea!"

For example, I had sketches and notes about provocraft's gypsy for the Cricut just months before it came out. Those disposable restaurant placemats that stick to the table could have made me a millionaire. My husband reminds me it's not the idea, it's the implementation. After all, it was my Great Grandfather that invented the binding for the spiral notebook and also the Chinese takeout cartons. Unfortunately, he never patented these ideas so here I sit when I could be living the high life!

While I'm not looking to have the next million dollar idea, I want to help you by putting my ideas out there. No longer will I say, "I so thought of that!" Instead, I'll say, "Hey, I put that on my blog months ago and tons of people benefited from it!"

2/9/2010

School Station

It's your typical Monday morning. I hit the snooze bar one too many times and have barely found time to brush my own hair, let alone my screaming 3-year-old's. My kid's school work is scattered across the table and it's due today! We rush through breakfast, get in the car and zip out the door. On the way, my daughter reminds me it's show & tell and she needs to find something that starts with the letter 'Z'. In a panic, I start digging through my car looking for a zebra, a zinc lozenge, God forbid a zucchini left somewhere in my trunk from my last grocery run! Finally it hits me, the zipper on her pullover sweater! Bingo! See I had it planned all along. We get to school and my stomach drops as I realize that the permission slip for the... you guessed it, 'Z'oo is due today! Eeek! I quickly grab it from my visor, fill in the necessary information and grab what cash I have left in my purse and quickly shove it in my son's tote bag.

Does this sound like you? We used to have mornings like this and, needless to say, it left me far from deserving the "Mother of the Year" award. Here's how we conquered it.

Necessary Supplies:

(One for you and one for each child)

-Magazine File

-3-ring binder (a different color for each person)

-dividers

-A blank calendar (1 month per page)

*I printed this out from outlook

-A spiral notebook

-Sturdy folder (a different color for each person)

Additional Supplies

(Keep these in a pencil cup/ small storage box next to the files)

-3-hole punch

-stapler

-scotch tape

-cards with envelopes (blank, non-themed ones)

-post it notes

-A couple Pencils

-Pens (red, black and blue)

-paper clips

-pencil sharpener

-cash (10 ones, 2 fives, 1 ten)

-letter size envelopes

Using the same color notebook you chose for your child, clearly label his or her name on the outside of the magazine file. Next, consider how to label the dividers for your Children’s' notebooks. Since my kids are in preschool and Kindergarten, my labels are fairly simple. They consist of calendar, contacts, newsletters, completed work, Field Trips, Conferences, Fundraisers/ Book orders, Enrichment activities, records and curriculum.

The calendar in the front of your notebook is your command center. I know that it’s 2010 and the idea of a paper calendar has you raising an eyebrow. While I am addicted to my blackberry like the rest of the world have, you have to have a paper back-up when it comes to your kids! At the beginning of the year, mark the important things on the calendar in red. PTA meetings, vacations/breaks, deadlines, etc. Next, mark recurring items such as "library day, return books," or "reading groups, remember folder."

When your child comes through the door, do not let the backpack hit the floor. Take it directly to your new school station. Pull the papers out and hole punch anything you want to keep, file it accordingly. Next, take any homework and file it into your sturdy folder. Record any important dates on your calendar (don't forget to set a reminder in your PDA), fill out any paperwork such as permission slips, notes to the teacher etc. and put them directly back into the backpack. Check your child's school supplies and make sure he/she has everything needed and in good working order. Keep a running list in your spiral notebook of supplies that need replacing and bring it with you next time you head to the store.

Finally, take a look at tomorrow. Is anything due? Is there anything you'll kick yourself for leaving at home? Put these things by your door, in your child's backpack or in your car now! Write a note on a post it and stick it to the door at eye level so you'll see it as you head out the door in the morning.

If you always hole punch and file, record and remember you'll be in line for Mother of the Year!

Tomorrow’s post: “Mom’s command center”