The Good Idea Girl

The Incomplete Word Count Blog-a-Thon

2013-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have realized, after three failed attempts, that I am not meant to be a daily blogger. I get so excited prior to the beginning of the blog-a-thon, take notes in my journal, prepare posts for different days of the month and, this year, I even had a blog journal to help me organize my writing objectives. All for naught. My life is just not one that allows for daily blogging. I am always running too many different directions (aren't most of us) and I don't have the discipline, I suppose, to sit down and write a daily entry in my blog.

I would love too. I write in my journal. I have many different ideas and entries to share but it seems easier to write them in my journal than it is to get them onto the blog.

After my minimal success this month, I have decided to forgive myself for not accomplishing the full thirty days; heck, I think I got less than three or four days posted this month. Rather, I am going to continue to write my blog as I can fit it into my schedule. Hoping that practice will make perfect, next year, when I will once again attempt to write and enter my daily blog for a full thirty days.

Thank you for understanding.

Melissa

My Son Hit One Out of the Park

2013-06-05T21:43:00.001-07:00

If there was ever a more festive moment this spring, I cannot imagine what it might be. Watching my eleven year old son struggle with his batting this whole baseball season has broken my heart. We have spent countless hours in the batting cages, just me and him, practicing. His dedication & determination have been inspirational to me; yet, time after time, he would walk away from home plate with just a hint of sorrow and the echo of "strike three".

My heart broke every time this happened. There wasn't anything I could do to help him. He knew the mechanics of his swing, he understood the timing of the pitcher and he was sending them "over the fence" in the batting cages. His fear or insecurities up at the plate were something he had to conquer on his own.

I have often told him that once he found the "sweet spot" and connected the ball to the bat, he would know the secret ingredient that no one else could teach him and was something he would have to find on his own. I assured him that once he found the spot, it would come together.

Monday night, he hit a nice ground ball, straight down the pitchers line into center field. I noticed how differently he carried himself when he walked up to bat tonight. His confidence was very evident as he swung ~ once, twice, three times. He had struck out, but he was swinging and the power was there. It was all beginning to come together.

Second time to bat was another line drive to center field. His smile was so bright.

The third time up to base, he was more confident and held himself a bit taller. As the ball sailed through the air, he swung and the ball cracked against the bat. As it flew out of the ball park, my son held up his arms and ran around the bases. His smile was so bright, even through my tears of pride and joy, I could see how important this moment was for him. He had worked hard and his hard work had paid off.

An ice cream party at home seemed a nice celebration for the accomplishment of such an important goal. His success reminded me that I should always be swinging for the fence. I may strike out, not once but many times, but as long as I am swinging, I am working toward a goal; A goal that I am going to hit if I keep trying.

Party Planning Success is in the Details - A Running To-Do List will help you Focus

2013-06-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Organization is the key to success when planning a party. In an effort to maintain organization and success with each party that I plan, I now keep a Party Journal. The party journal is a great way to keep track of your overall party plans, your To-Do list, menu, recipes and any pictures or decorations. A party journal is a collection of notes, pictures, drawing and recipes that you want to have for future reference or for evaluation before, during and after your event. I keep one large journal that holds all my important notes from each party. Each party also has a "Running To-Do" List. A key component to my party planning success.

A Running To-Do list is a working list of things that need to be done over the course of time while I am planning a party. I never completely cross out any item on my list. In fact, I only draw a simple line through each item. As I plan the party, I add new items that need to be done or have my attention, this list grows as the party date gets closer; however, as the party gets closer, more items get marked off the list. The key to using only a single line to tick off the items, as I complete them, is to provide a road map to future party planning lists. I use each list as a reference guide to help me plan the next parties.

My "Running To-Do" list is often broken down into a variety of different subgroups. By breaking down the overall party planning into different subgroups, I am able to focus my planning and preparations. I generally use the following basic party planning subgroups on my list:

invitations

guest list

decorations

favors

paper products

links/suppliers

As any well organized party planner will tell you, experience planning parties also builds experience improving the planning of those parties. Building To-Do lists from experience planning other parties will help improve organization and reduce the overall stress you experience as you continue to plan more and more parties in the future. At the end of each party, after all the clean-up is done and all equipment and service-ware is put away, I review my Running To-Do lists to evaluate where I could have saved money, used my time more wisely or shorted up a few steps to make the overall planning easier. This time spent in review is very beneficial when I begin to plan the next party.

Often times, I will begin my next party "To-Do" list by "borrowing" entries from previous lists. This is a great way to make sure that I don't miss an important item and maximize my planning and preparation time.

Tomorrow I will share with you my special party planning envelope that I use to hold all of my physical items that I refer to when planning a party.

Due to Unforeseen Circumstances ~ We interrupt this message...

2013-06-03T22:30:00.001-07:00

Today was filled with many things, some positive and some negative. However, the one thing it did not have was time for me to write my blog on the value of a "running to-do list".

So, for today, I will leave you with a beautiful quote by Jean Webster, Daddy-long-legs, that I found in a national magazine a few years ago:

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little one."

I believe that Jean Webster has a beautiful philosophy for life, so it is a pleasure to use that thought for my third day of blogging.

See you tomorrow.

Party Planning Success ~ One Step at a Time

2013-06-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

The most important step in successful party planning is TIME. Allow plenty of time to plan your party, a minimum of six to eight weeks is ideal. Allowing yourself plenty of time to plan the party will increase your overall satisfaction and enjoyment with the party planning experience and will make sure that your party turns out exactly as you had hoped.

Time is a precious commodity, that cannot be built into a schedule once it is lost. If you don't have eight weeks, or even six, then you need to make the most of the time you do have. Tomorrow we will discuss the importance of the "to-do" list and an innovative party planning envelope that I use for each of my parties.

May you enjoy a Blessed Sunday and I look forward to sharing more party planning ideas tomorrow.

Throwing a Party

2013-06-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

I admit it! I am a Party Girl!!

Well, okay, not exactly a "Party Girl", more like, a Party Planning Girl! I love to plan parties. give me a paper, pencil and an event and I can happily sit for hours planning and organizing the big day.

I have been planning parties for over fifteen years. I have hosted/planned kids events, adult events, weddings and showers for brides and babies. I even plan classroom parties with gusto. It is who I am.

I love it all, deciding upon a theme, creating a budget, shopping for sales, menu creating and even clean-up. I mean what better way to evaluate your success than to clean up a well celebrated event.

This month, I will be offering a multitude of different things I have learned along the way, to help you or somone you know plan a party.

I am big on budget friendly shopping and have learned many ways to host a great party while staying on or below budget.

While my blog will not focus entirely on party planning, it is the theme for the month of June. Summer is ahead and many people will be hosting birthday parties, summer bar-b-ques, weddings and baby/bridal showers.

I will offer tips, resources, money saving shortcuts and menus to help make any event a success.

So please join me and celebrate your life ~ one party at a time!

Budget Friendly Summer Fun with the Kids

2012-06-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Enjoying an activity filled summer with the kids does not have to break the family budget. Here are five easy activities that offer both fun and educational opportunities that you can enjoy with your children:

Weekly Themed Dinner Parties: As a family, choose an international country that you would like to learn more about. Visit the library to check our books about your country, be sure one of the books offers menu items that you can research and cook in your home. For an arts & crafts activity, have your children create a placemats and table decorations that represent the different symbols of your country. Together prepare a menu, shop for groceries and prepare a traditional meal or menu item for dinner. If everyone enjoys the activity, pick a new country each week for the remainder of your summer vacation.
Go on a Nature Walk: Find a national park, local park or other outdoor area to visit as a family. Have your children gather different items that they find along their walk; glue the items to construction paper to create a collage. Nature walks offer a great opportunity for children to safely explore the world around them and learn more about nature.
Bird Watching: Bird watching is a simple and enjoyable way to learn about the different birds that live in your neighborhood or surrounding area. Children are fascinated by birds, and learning the different breeds that live in your area is a great way to inspire a love of nature. Before you set out on your first bird watching expedition, be sure to visit your local library or book store to gather bird identification books to help your child learn to recognize as many different birds as possible.
Ice Cream Sundae Party: Purchase a variety of ice creams, sprinkles, flavored toppings, whip cream and maraschino cherries; allow your children to create their very own "dream sundae". Expect that this will be a very messy activity, so allow the children to build their creations outside where it is safe for things to get messy. Don't limit sugar intake, creative recipe construction or suggest any rules at all. On this day, just let the kids be kids. They will remember this for a long time and you just might have a "what I did last summer" classroom essay topic for one of the kids.

2012-05-05T15:13:00.005-07:00

Well, I missed a day...could not be helped. Life got in the way and I went with the natural flow of the day rather than stress out about where I should be and what I should b doing. That is one of the lessons I am learning as I begin blogging, life happens and I cannot always get to my keyboard to write. So, today, to make up for it, I will write two blog posts, if only to make myself feel better.

Today's quote is:

"We are always the same age inside."

I believe that each of us has an age in our lives where we felt really good about who we are, where we are in our lives and our overall appearance; it becomes our internal age. Mine was 40. I loved how I looked and how I felt at 40. I wasn't perfect, rather far from it. I was raising two teenagers, ages 14 and 16, while simultaneously chasing a four and two year old around the house. They were rugged days of sleep deprivation, cooking ALL the time and too much laundry. I read only children's books, could never seem to use the bathroom alone and more often than not, I had one kid that needed something at every single hour of the day. Yet, that is somehow the time of my internal age. I am always surprised when I see myself in a window or mirror and realize I am still that age.

At 45, my appearance hasn't changed that much but I can see the accumulated years better these days. The crows feet around my eye, the laugh lines around my mouth, the thickening waste (no matter how much I diet and exercise, those two c-sections did long-term damage on my abdominals) but it is my neck that I dislike the most.

I have always taken great care with moisturizers to make sure that my face and neck would not wrinkle and yet, it has. All those cosmetic promises could hold back time but not erase it forever. I love that I am aging, because when you consider the alternative, frankly it is a little bleak. I never saw myself as a woman that would want plastic surgery or "a little bit of tucking" here and there; but times are changing. I don't think I will ever take any steps to "tight things up" but I have to admit, that I often find myself daydreaming about the skin in my youth and my "old neck" rather than the one I have now.

Yes. we are always the same age on the inside...now, if I could just convince the outside to believe the same way, then everything would be just grand.

2012-05-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to ask for comments, impressions and shared thoughts; I am posting a quote and I would love to have feedback on what this quote means to you:

"What is life's heaviest burden? asked the child. "To have nothing to carry." answered the old man." ~ anonymous

What are your feelings when you read this? Your impression? Your thoughts? Please share with me and anyone else that stops by...

2012-05-02T21:19:00.002-07:00

Posting a daily blog is going to be challenging; it is day 2 and I am already scrambling at the end of the evening to gather a post idea together. To say that my day began in the car at 7:40am and ended at 8:20pm is the truth. There is work, my volunteer responsibilities, boy scouts, children's sports, church youth group and then, finally, home at 8:20 to do homework. I do not have a fancy smart phone, so writing a blog post on the go isn't an option...YET. Which brings me to my thought for the day. My writing has to hold equal importance in my daily life, just like all the other responsibilities I am accountable for each day. That is why I have chosen a quote from Charles Buxton for today's post.:

"You will never "find" time for anything. If you want time you must make it."

This seems especially true, not only for myself but for all the other mothers and fathers that I know that try to "fit" writing into their daily schedule. As passionate as we feel about writing, there are so many other things that demand our attention. This month, join me as I make the commitment to ~~find~~ ... no, MAKE time to blog each day. This is the first step to insuring that writing becomes a daily commitment, just like exercise...okay. Perhaps that was a bad example, since I am still trying to figure out how to fit a daily run into my morning.

No time like the present to "make" positive things happen in my daily life. See you at the keyboard, as I intend to make my writing a daily task ~

Ready....Set....Go....Let the Blogging Begin

2012-05-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the kick-off of the 2012 Blogathon; a writing challenge to all bloggers to post every day of the month. I am always so excited about the idea of blogging daily but once the month of May begins, I panic. I intend to prepare thirty posts before the first day and yet, again I have failed to do so. But I will persevere with my good intentions and hopefully fulfill my goal.

Today I am borrowing a quote I saw recently that I felt was the perfect introduction to the Blogathon, because with almost 200 blogs registered this year, that is a lot of reading and new ideas available to everyone. So, here is my thought for the day:

"Somewhere someone is looking for exactly what you have to offer" ~ Louise L. Hay

I believe that this applies to everyone, no matter where they are in their life. Whether it be looking for a new job, a spouse, a friend or a new opportunity. The goal is to remain focused on your positive qualities and not worry about your own perceived weaknesses, as they may not be a "real" weakness at all.

Remember that in life, it is important to "stick your neck out" sometimes; take the risk and let nature take its course. If you are not willing to try something because you might fail....Haven't you really already failed yourself.

Just a thought. So, while I and about 199 other bloggers begin the journey of writing one post per day for the next month, I wish us all the best of luck and hopefully we will have a great deal of fun and growth along the way.

See ya at the finish line.

2012-04-09T17:19:00.004-07:00

The Badge!!

Yes. I am going to try it again this year. God willing, I will succeed.

2011-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

I love being organized. In fact, I take great pride in having corny things like the classroom telephone list or complete baseball schedule and roster in my "possession" at all times. I get a sick pleasure out of being the "go-to" mom with all the important facts...I hate to admit it but it is true. So, with this sick personality trait in mind, I was thrilled to discover the momAgenda, All-in-One Folio; this is the answer for any parent who is looking to become more organized without having to exert much effort at all. The All-in-One Folio contains a monthly calendar (which can be replaced each year without having to toss out the entire folio...a huge benefit for those on a budget) a notepad, a matching pen and twenty four page protectors (with tabs, I might add) perfect for storing important classroom lists, team rosters, school calendars, receipts, and even activity lists and events that parents are invited to attend. I keep my to-do list, party planning lists, and other important information in this book, changing things in and out as events occur. This book is the answer to any busy mom's life...who knows, maybe dads would like one too.

Just click on one of the two links below, picking one of the two choices for the All-In-One Folio, Ocean or Cherry, and Get Organized!!

No Doubt About It...

2011-05-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

I had really wanted to complete the Blog-A-Thon but the odds were stacked against me from the start. I must accept the fact that I will not complete 31 blogs in 31 days; that will be next years goal.

Current time demands have prevented me from writing for personal or professional purposes since the end of April. My optimism that I would offer "good ideas" on a daily basis was just that...optimistic.

Even as I write, their is Nerf gun war waging in the rooms around me and I heard screams of "terror" and "pretend pain" which interrupts my writing. At this point, this blog is as good as it is going to get.

My Favorite Quote

2011-05-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

"The cure for anything is salt water~
sweat, tears or the sea" -Isak Dinesen

It really is that simple.

Learning to Say "No"

2011-05-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

"You must say No to what is less important to be able to focus on what is most important."

This is the mantra for my writing career. Too many times, I can get caught up in volunteer work, helping friends or family or simply doing too much for the people around me. My writing always takes the hit...It isn't that my writing isn't valuable to me, it just means that many times the other situations seem more "in need" and I always think "I will get right back to it" but it inevitably always throws my rhythm off and I have to go back to step one.

This is my struggle and goal today: Learning how to put my writing first. How about you? Share your ideas and comments about how you put your writing first.

Darn!

2011-05-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed yesterday. As usual, family demands came ahead of my time to write. I am going to keep going, just to challenge myself.

Today I am pondering professionalism and temper tantrums, how emotionally freeing it must be for a child to just stand and scream "It's Not Fair" and with that thought, wondering how much healthier we, as adults, might be if would we responded in the same fashion...of course, I mean in an emotionally expressive manner, not in a physical or aggressive manner.

Today, I am going to honestly recognize my feelings and acknowledge their energy. I am going to express myself and be true to what I am feeling. This is a test, it is only a test...I promise I will not stomp my feet, kick and scream or shout in public. I promise.

The Badge

2011-05-01T18:13:00.001-07:00

2011-05-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

For anyone looking for a wonderful summer book, or earlier if you have the time, this one is fabulous. I read it in two days. No, I did not have the time to read, I actually stopped everything else I had to do to read the book. Trust me, you will love this.

And Away I Go...

2011-05-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

Life lessons come in many different shapes and sizes; when my friend Jan suggested I try blogging for 31 days in a row in the 2011 Blog-a-thon, I agreed. I have never been successful at blogging, finding time to write on a daily basis is tough enough. I cannot even successfully schedule a thirty minute walk on my treadmill, the idea of submitting a meaningful daily post seemed daunting to say the least. But I wanted to try.

I am not sure where I will go with each post. I have a feeling that “life lessons” may be an underlying theme as lately, I am experiencing many new revelations about life, on a daily basis.

In fact at times I feel like I am standing in front of a pitching machined with hundreds of different “balls” being thrown at me all at once and I am trying to handle each one, successfully, while simultaneously being pummeled by those that I miss.

In some ways, I think that is what life is like, solving little emergencies, problems, “opportunities” and life moments to the best of our ability; sometimes successfully and other times, not so much…the real importance is showing up and giving it your best shot.

Off and Running...WordCount Blogathon 2011

2011-04-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my friend, Jan Udlock, I am going to successfully participate in the WordCount Blogathon 2011. Notice the keyword "successfully"? This is because in January 2010 I was going to write a blog; that was as far as I got. I created the blog, wrote a couple entries and then life took over. No more entries.

This time it is going to be different.

Promise.

A New Beginning - 2010

2010-01-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, New Year, New Me...How many times have I said that??!! However, this year is going to be the best "New Me" ever. I have a list of "to-do's" that is a mile long but it is broken down into daily, weekly and monthly activities, each guaranteed to bring me one step closer to the culminating year's end, a "Super Yahoo" for a job well done.

The first is to downsize the amount of superfluous "stuff" I have in my home and get back to what is necessary. I have too much stuff, I don't use 75% of it and I can and should donate it all to people who have a real need in their lives and homes. There are so many people who need essentials, it seems wrong that I have so much that goes unused. As Gandhi said, "Be the Change You want to See in the World." So, that is my ongoing mantra for this year...I have always loved the quote but now is the time to live it.

The next step to success is to downsize the amount of superfluous activity I do on the computer and focus on three different aspects of my work rather than running around the internet all morning trying to determine which "base" to hit and which to skip. I have too many irons in the fire and need to narrow my focus down to the top three items and let the rest go. The stress of "not keeping up" just isn't worth it.

The third is my health, I absolutely need to get more exercise in my day. So, I will use the treadmill (a gym quality machine my husband bought me a few years ago because I swore I would use it someday...Hmmm. I guess it is time to address this someday excuse I have been using.) So, exercise is on the daily agenda, written in like any other appointment and KEPT!

The fourth is family photos. I have thousands of photos on my computer unfortunately, no one else ever sees them. The kids need photo albums, they need to see different times in their childhood; As a family we need to be able to sit and look at pictures and discuss the memories of days gone by. I have a ton of photos around the house but none in albums on the book shelves. I will print thousands of photos this year and put each and everyone of them in a photo album with notes about the events pictured. I owe this to my children, it is their history.

So there it is, a four item topic list of my goals for the new year. I left professional accomplishments out of the list all together. While I have those too, I felt that sharing my personal goals was more in alignment with this blog.

As this blog is about organization, as I journey along each day, week and month, I will share tidbits of success, implement new goals and share positive lessons learned along the way. So, onward and upward, as the New Year awaits our best efforts and outlook for a brighter world.

2009-11-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

November - The Month of Thanks & Sharing

2009-11-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

November is the month that officially welcomes rain, cold and gray dreary days and early darkness here in the Pacific Northwest. Yet, it is also the time of woodstoves burning brightly, warm and cozy houses and homemade soups and bread. In our house, we celebrate each change of season, or at least I do; brightly colored arrangements fill the house with the oranges, browns and yellows of fall, softly burning (battery operated) candles flicker brightly in subtle areas of the house and the woodstove heats the house while the soft glow of fire brightens the living room through the stove’s glass window. My house is very cozy in the winter months, something I look forward too as summer ends and fall approaches. I love each season for the sensations and feelings they each bring into my life. I try to show the children how different each season is, the new life of spring, the wonderful joy in the summer sun, the fall harvest and the winter’s quiet white.

As I write this entry I am surrounded by the warmth of my home, the love of my family and the peace of having so many blessings in our lives. As I ponder how lucky we are, I am also aware of those that do not have so much. November is also a time to begin gathering food, blankets, coats, shoes and other supplies for families in need; the time of year when my children can learn to share with those less fortunate and to be thankful for the blessings that they can share with others. Each season offers a lesson in living, this time of year we learn to share and be generous; thankful for what we have and for what we can give to others

When Halloween Party Planning Organization is Key

2009-10-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

In three days I have a huge Halloween party for my kids. I expect somewhere near 50 kids to arrive, give or take, as I don't know who is bringing brothers and sisters and who is not. I have yet to plan the menu or the games as my youngest son is sick. Today, in a "power planning" session, I am going to get it all organized and ready to roll...if this happens to you, do not panic. As they say in emergency preparation courses, panic leads to death...same for event planning. Without hyperventilating or screaming, gather your resources and make lists for supplies, food ingredients, a menu for sweets and treats, games for the kids, arts and crafts activities, etc. and then strategically plan the event from the moment you wake up until the hour you drop into bed. Organization is absolutely fundamental to success...I have hosted this party for the last five years so it is a bit easier for me to plan the event due to my personal familiarity with the project. However, if you find yourself in this same position, just take a deep breath and make lots of notes and lists. If you are looking for last minute ideas, check out www.party.lifetips.com for some great ideas