It is an exciting time for families everywhere! New teachers, new (and old) friends, and let’s not forget, new school clothes and supplies! During this transition phase of implementing schedules and reestablishing routines, how about including a fresh batch of organizing optimization for yourself?

Now, there’s no need for an “I can’t possibly make time now to get organized” panic! I am not talking about an entire mom-organization overhaul – rather, just one quick and easy step that may make your mom agenda a little more manageable this fall. Little steps in the right direction often get us where we want to be with a smile on, rather than stressing ourselves out even more by trying to get there all at once!

One organizational habit I have found to be very helpful over the past year is “batching”. Since we moms are in “school-focus” mode right now, let me clarify that this type of batching has nothing to do with the 3rd grade cookie sale! This batching refers to your tasks and To-Do’s and involves leveraging your time, focus, and energy by grouping similar tasks in your agenda that require the same type of thinking or actions, so you can complete them all (or at least some of them) together when you are in that “mode”.

There are many different ways to batch tasks, and it really is a matter of personal preference and what works best for your style and schedule. For instance, you can designate a certain time of day for checking e-mails (rather than getting sucked into them every time your In Box chimes), you can reserve one specific afternoon of the week for certain household chores or errands, you can block off a spot in your calendar each day solely for returning phone calls or doing social media, and so on.

One way I have implemented batching as an organizational tool is to focus on certain types of tasks on certain days. For example, in my business I normally plan to kick my week off by building in space for some creativity with Monday as my writing day (i.e., blog posts, articles, curriculum, etc.), then Tuesdays and Thursdays are “reserved” mostly for client-focused activities( i.e., coaching calls, teleclasses, training), Wednesdays are for marketing-related work, and Fridays are my “open” day, where I can typically be available for volunteering at the kids’ schools, plan on some regular ME-Time Now™ (i.e., whatever I would enjoy doing on my own or with a friend), and catch up on any loose ends from the week.

Is this how my week runs like clockwork every week without fail?  Of course not – we all know that a Mom’s life comes with daily interruptions and to-be-expected unexpected detours.  The idea here is not to create a rigid agenda that stresses you out at the thought of straying from it.  Rather, by batching similar tasks based on what works best with your schedule and daily/weekly energy level patterns, it allows you to focus and be in the “zone”, so you can complete specific types of tasks most efficiently.

By claiming designated time blocks on your calendar for the completion of defined groups/batches of tasks, To-Dos become more tangible and you can often better manage how you fill your available hours or minutes in a given day or week.  It can be very reassuring to know that, when a To-Do enters your list, there is a time “bin” in your agenda that it fits into.   It can also feel very rewarding to complete a planned-for batch of tasks on your list, rather than randomly picking things off one at a time, while you waste precious moments and energy worrying about how and when it will get done in your week.

What tasks do you have on your To-Do list that you may be able to batch together this week?  Consider designating a time for their completion in your agenda, and smile as you bid them farewell for now!

I’ve been eating bananas my whole life, as well as feeding them to my kids for the past 10 years, and I have never heard of opening a banana like this!

Actually, I feel a little silly that, at my age, I still struggle with opening bananas – often trying to bend and break it at the base of the stem or digging at the peel near the stem, bruising the fruit inside (which, of course, then usually wastes the top half of it, since my kids want nothing to do with a “banana bruise”… and, quite honestly, neither does their mom… since I’m baring all of my banana-peeling issues here anyway!), before grabbing a knife and cutting into the peel.

I look forward to giving this “Monkey Method” a try bright and early at breakfast tomorrow!  Oh, the things you can find on YouTube!

(Thanks to my friend, Angela McKee at Head Turner Studios for sharing on FB!)

On my way home from the gym this morning, a delicately graceful butter-yellow butterfly crossed my path, just slightly ahead of me in the road.  I was alone in the car and on the road, so I didn’t hesitate to slow down and let her pass safely by, as she danced care-free ahead of me.

She was in no hurry to get to her destination, and I smiled at how her refined beauty had commanded me and my big vehicle to stop for her tiny little self.

In fact, I smiled the rest of the way home, as I drove slowly (which my being alone on the neighborhood road allowed me to do, without impeding anyone else’s mad-rush), and I took in all of the rich green palms, bursting fuchsia crepe myrtles, and majestic evergreens that touched the seamless blue sky.

Not only did I take in all of those living, vibrant colors – I felt true appreciation and awe for them!  As I did, I could feel my own energy and happiness rising, as Nature shared hers with me.  And I thought to myself how this natural energy boost was way better than the Grande Non-Fat Mocha caffeine-charge I had almost talked myself into picking up on the way home.

I am so grateful to that little butterfly-messenger today, who said with its dance, “Hey Lynn, take a “brake” for a moment, and look at this!  It’s pretty amazing, huh!”

I have recently been more consciously focused than ever on doing more of just that – finding peace and fulfillment through slowing down and really tuning into, observing, embracing, and honoring all of the evolving aspects of my Self and this blessing-filled life that I live.

How fitting that this little perfect symbol of evolution – a dancing yellow butterfly – so effortlessly reminded me that the easiest and most elegant path to contentment and flow is through daily appreciation and gratitude, and that inspirational reminders of this simple guidance surround us.  We just need to slow down enough every now and then to let their magic feed our souls!

Well, it is officially Back to School week at our house!  Gone are the days of sleeping in late and going with the flow of wherever our day may take us – at least until Winter break!

If the thought of new teachers and getting back into the school-year routine has you &/or your kids feeling a bit frazzled, check out these helpful tips for reducing everyone’s school-year stress!

http://stress.about.com/od/studentstress/a/back_to_school.htm

Today is this first day of school for both of my daughters, and boy, are they excited!  It made my heart so happy to see them get on the bus with smiles on their faces this morning, knowing that we had a wonderful family summer and confident that the new school year will bring many new and fun-filled opportunities.

As I turned to walk back down the driveway toward the house, my own smile never faded – the kids are in wonderful hands for the day, and it is the first time in a while that I have a day to myself. Ah-h-, the sweet, simple joy of a peaceful house and a warm cup of coffee, with the whole day ahead of me!

What will you do with your “First Day Back to School” day?

Before you dive head-first into your home or work To-Do list, please take a moment for your Self and check out my August article on

http://www.newbymom.com/detail.php?id=72

Happy New School Year to you & your family!

Summer vacation is winding down, and the kids go back to school next week. I can hardly believe how fast those summer months flew by this year! So much Summer Fun!

As we shift our focus towards Back-To-School, here are some creative crafts ideas and activities to get the whole family excited about the new school year!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/back-to-school/

Woo-Hoo for School!

When I picked my daughters up from an afternoon summer camp recently, they told me about a girl there who had suggested that my younger daughter should ignore her Big Sis and not be her friend.

Big Sis: “Like anyone could really come between us – we’re sisters!”

Little Sis: “Yeah, nothing can come between sisters.” (just as conversational and matter of fact as if she’d said, “The sky is blue, you know.”)

I have always told my girls how blessed they each are to have a sister because they will always have a built-in playmate and “bestest” forever-friend.

It is so amazing and rewarding as their mom to see that unique sisterly bond growing and strengthening between them. That closeness is even more gratifying for me, as a girl who grew up without my own big sister to share sweet secrets with and have there to help guide me along my way. My own Big Sis passed away as a toddler 3 ½ years before I was born, and it is a space I have always held in my heart. I remember my heart literally aching while I missed her so much growing up.

Even now, I wonder what our relationship would be like and what adventures we would reminisce about today if we had been able to share our lives with each other. I love my three brothers dearly, but I will always miss my sister that I never personally got to meet and laugh with.

Nothing could make me happier than to see my daughters share the kind of sisterhood that I always wished for.

(Me: “Nothing can come between them – they’re sisters!” And that special journey has only just begun!)

You Say It’s Your Birthday…

This one goes out to my twin brother and all of the other Leos out there –

Another year, another 29th birthday tomorrow!

As my dear friend Stayce and I (oh yeah, and Jimmy Buffet) always say, “Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been!”

And as my Dad always said, “It sure beats the alternative!”

Have a HAPPY!!

Every mom I know has also allowed herself to be eaten up by guilt, as she easily convinced herself that she was the only non-super mom on the planet.

The interesting thing about mom-guilt is this: while we are sick to our stomachs for days, lamenting over haunting thoughts of how we have somehow scarred our kids for life, they have already moved on and let it go. By lunchtime, they have forgotten all about the fact that Mom forgot to send in the empty paper towel roll and they had to use one of the “spares” that the teacher preparedly had on-hand.

Of course, they may conveniently remind us of our erred ways every now and then, but one of the most beautiful things about children is that they love us unconditionally. They truly want mommy to be happy.

As moms, we need to realize and be okay with the fact that, with all of the many balls we simultaneously juggle, we may drop one occasionally. It is simply a fact of modern motherhood.

We don’t lay awake at night worrying ourselves sick over other facts of Life. The world is round. The sky is blue. Moms sometimes make mistakes.

Why not just accept that fact? You are an amazing mom and you will make a few mistakes along the way. Period. No self-torment necessary.

Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, vow to do things in a way that feels better next time, and move on to loving yourself just as much anyway. Your kids surely do!

http://freekidsmusic.com/traditional/index.html

Pass out the lyrics, plug-in the iPod, and let the singing begin!

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