What is Send Out Cards?

Send Out Cards is a busy parent’s best friend. It is an online gift and greeting card site that allows you to easily stay in touch with friends, family, clients, etc. No more running to the card store with kids in tow to find the perfect card.

What are the benefits of using Send Out Cards?

The biggest benefit is time management. Send Out Cards allows you to send cards and gifts 24/7. You can peruse hundreds of different designs in many different categories, add a personal message, choose a gift from several categories and mail with the click of the button. The process is very easy and convenient.

I love that it would save me time, but I am concerned it is a little impersonal to have someone else sign and send my cards.  What kinds of things does Send Out Cards do to help make the cards more personal?

No one else signs your cards. You can use a number of font choices for signing your name, or you have the option of submitting your own handwritten signature to the company, which you can include on every card you send to make it very personal.

How much does it cost?

The greeting cards range in price from $.49 to $1.96 each depending on the type of card and if you include a custom image. The cost is well below regular retail at any card store.

How does the cost compare to mailing your own cards?

The cost for mailing is the same - the cost of a regular postage stamp. The cost of the card is cheaper and the biggest savings is your time!

Can I include photos or a message?

You have the option to include the logo for your company, a picture of your kids, dog, family, etc. The options are limitless. You also have the ability to write any custom message you would like - short or long.

We like to include a family newsletter with our Christmas cards, is this possible?

There are several options for creating a customized card, but I don’t believe there is an option to include a separate newsletter at this time.

Are the cards actually hand signed by someone at Send Out Cards or is the signature and message digitally printed?

No one else signs your cards, a custom signature and message is digitally printed.

How long does it take to have a card sent out?

If you click send right now and leave the fulfill date defaulted to ‘immediate’, your card will be printed, stuffed, stamped and mailed in the next production run. All cards/postcards are sent out first class from Salt Lake City, UT. First class mail averages between 2 - 7 postal days to deliver within the United States.

Can I schedule when they go out?

Yes, you can schedule cards to be sent in advance. Great feature if you are planning a trip or just want to take care of all your cad mailings for the week, month or longer.

Will Send Out Cards use my friends and family’s addresses for marketing purposes?  How do they protect my privacy?

All contact information you upload into your profile is safe and protected. Only you can access this information.

If I wanted to start using Send Out Cards, how do I get started?

A great way to learn more about Send Out Cards and the online greeting card and gift system, visit www.sendoutcards.com/themomentrepreneur. Send a free card on me to test the system. Watch the video to learn about Send Out Cards. I welcome the opportunity to talk with anyone about the system and how to use it as a residual income source. Our company offers our distributors training, branding and marketing support.

Traci has graciously offered everyone the opportunity to send one free card.  To see what Send Out Cards is all about and send your one free card, visit Traci at Send Out Cards.  In addition to your one free card, Traci is offering a box of delicious brownies to the first five people who buy an account valued at $25 or more.

Traci Bisson is President and Senior Publicist of Bisson Barcelona as well as founder of The Mom Entrepreneur and more recently a distributor for Send Out Cards.

This is Week 3 of our 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas.  You can find complete day by day details of the plan as well as printables and additional resources at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/. #frazzlefree

It was 9:00 a.m. I had been up all night with a sick child who had spent half of the night turning into Linda Blair from the Exorcist: “green pea soup” everywhere. The poor thing was exhausted and so was I.  I decided to call in sick and schedule the work meeting over the phone, anticipating updates on my new position at work.  I followed up with the agreed time even though I was in no mood to do a conference call.  But I did.  It was in that call that I found what happens when “the shift ” hits the fan.  I was fired.  Over the phone!

The details of what happened and why are less important than what happened to me after hearing the news.  Any parent who has faced a difficult situation such as the loss of a loved one, unemployment, chronic illness or the loss of their home knows what an emotional blow any of those are.  A parent who has found themselves scared and confused as I was, knows that no matter what is going on for us personally one of our first reaction is to try to protect our children from our feelings.  But what do you do when you can’t stop sobbing, your nose is brighter than Rudolph’s and your child asks you “mommy, why are you crying?”

After I got off the phone that morning, I realized that my daughter was watching closely to see if I was OK.  I could see by the expression on her face that she was reassured as I shared with her how hurt and disappointed I was by what had happened.  I was honest and told her that she was probably going to see more tears from me.  I shared that I was sad at the loss of connection with many people from my old job who I loved very much.  She looked at me and said with the wisdom that only a 7 year-old has: “But mommy can find them on Facebook?”

Emotions are a funny thing.  Scientists tell us that one of the main things that distinguish humans from the rest of the animal Kingdom is our need and desire to express our feelings.  We are emotional beings.

We all want our children to grow up to be healthy, well adjusted, loving and caring adults, capable of empathy and compassion.  We want them to learn to express and manage their feelings well.  One way to do that is by being authentic, responsible and caring people ourselves.  We model for them the good, the bad and the ugly!  The responsibility of modeling behavior to and for our children may seem daunting at times.  What do you do when you find yourself stressed out, upset and crying?   I’d like to invite you to model the appropriate expression of ALL feelings to your kids: the positive and negative feelings!  Jump up and down when you are happy.  Cry when you are sad. Ask for a “time out” when you are angry.  Remember, kids learn by example.

Life has a way of providing learning lessons every step of the way.  If we choose to look at it this way, we are open to using situations deemed as good or bad as “teachable” moments.  The longer I am on this parenting journey, the clearer it becomes that my child learns to handle life in great part by how she sees the people in her life do just that.  By openly sharing with her in an age-appropriate way, she is learning that her feelings are valid, valued and important.  We teach our children how to deal with their feelings by how they see us handle ours.  It calls for an awareness of our own parenting style, and acknowledging and honoring our own emotions.

It has been a few days now and we are all adjusting well.  My husband and I took some time to check with our daughter and make sure that we tended to any feelings or worries she may have had about the changing situation.  We shared with our daughter that since mommy is “God-employed” now, we need to make some adjustments to our family spending.  Having shared with her losing my job and what it means to all of us as family, it gave her the opportunity to come up with ways to feel part of the process of saving money. She decided to have her birthday party at home, with a movie, cake and ice cream, as opposed to the traditional skate deck, museum or bouncy house. She has ownership of this process at the level that is comfortable and appropriate for her. What a great learning opportunity for her and for us as a family, to come together as a team!

Sandra Huber is the “Soul”  and “Coach” behind The Soulful Parent. Sandra became a PCI Certified Parent Coach because she’s deeply passionate about changing the world, one family at a time. She believes that with appropriate tools, encouragement and support, parents can get the help they need to be confident in creating a positive, healthy home environment for themselves and their children. You can find out more about her at www.thesoulfulparent.com

• Wishpot allows me to create individual gift lists for myself, kids, and husband and keep them all in one place. There is no need any longer to keep separate gift or wish lists at individual stores. Also, there is no limit to the number of gift lists you create, so you can easily create gift lists for any number of family or friends.
• Wishpot gives me an easy way to make note of and remember something that I find online but am not quite ready to buy yet. I simply add it to one of my lists and it is there when I am ready to buy.
• Wishpot makes shopping easier for my husband because he REALLY dislikes shopping in stores and prefers to shop online.
• There are many ways to add products to your gift list. You can either add gift ideas directly from one of the many products they have listed in their community or you can manually add it either through an add-on to your browser or through a link. I’ll talk more about this in a later post.
• There is a privacy setting for individual items or for my entire list that lets me control what other people can see. You can set your privacy setting to Public, Wishpot Friends Only, or Private.
• It’s free!

So if you haven’t already, head on over to Wishpot, set up your account, and start getting familiar with the features.  Tomorrow we will talk about how you can add gift ideas to your list.

This is Week 2 of our 8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas.  You can find complete day by day details of the plan as well as printables and additional resources at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/. #frazzlefree

8 Weeks to a Frazzle Free Christmas begins today, so if you haven’t already, download your free ebook at http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/frazzle-free-christmas.html.  You can choose to follow along via Facebook, Twitter, email, or in our forum.

I haven’t talked about this yet, because I wasn’t sure what to say and I still can’t watch the video without crying for the entire day, but I know her life wasn’t lived in vain and that she was brought into my life for a reason.

Louise was the only one of my friends who got just as excited as I did over creating family journals and making family vacation jars , and she was even the inspiration and creator of some of the activities like the giant S in our family room.  She would call me all the time with ideas for the website and about products she thought we should add to our store.  She was a “family geek” just like me and I loved her for it.  She was a true friend who believed in what I did and inspired me to be a better person, mother, and friend.  And watching her battle cancer over several years and finally having to surrender at the young age of 37 was one of the hardest things I have had to go through in my life.  She lived her life with integrity and died with integrity and never once complained about the bad hand she was dealt.

After she died in February and we had the chance to say goodbye at her funeral, I started to take the time to look through our family photos to see if there were any of me.  If you have been a reader of our newsletter for a while now you know that I spend a fair amount of time worrying about how my kids will remember me , and after Louise’s death I realized I spend no time making sure my kids have pictures of me.  I couldn’t find any pictures of me and my kids together.  They were all of just the kids or the kids and my husband.

My reasons for not being in the photo’s are just like many other moms, my hair is a mess, I don’t have makeup on, or I just want to make the good times about the kids not me; all selfish excuses that come from my own insecurities and desires and none of which are in the best interest of my kids.   Because in the end, my kids won’t care if I have make up on or if my hair was a mess, my kids are going to care that I took the time to be present in their lives and left behind physical proof of our life together.  Pictures of me give my kids more than just memories, they give them proof that I lived and loved them.

So PLEASE do your kids a favor and take some time to make sure you are in the photos, in their lives, and in their memories.  Someday they will thank you.

Families with purpose are families who dream together and work together to make their dreams and goals a reality.

New starts, renewed energy, and fresh enthusiasm are all signs and feelings of the start of a new school year.  This time of year is often a time where families take time to reflect on their lives and try to make changes and improvements for the better.  So before the renewed energy and enthusiasm fades under the stress of daily life, take some time to reconnect as a family and reaffirm your family identity with this project.  It is a simple low cost way for families to remind themselves of their family goals and a fun way of expressing their family values, identity, and mission.

Purpose of this Project

The purpose of this activity is to build family closeness and unity by discussing and creatively expressing your family values, identity, goals, and mission.

Supplies You’ll Need

Paper Mache letter of the first letter of your last name (you can find these at your local craft or fabric store - we used a 23.5″ letter)

Mod Podge (you can find these at your local craft or fabric store)

Paint Brushes (one for each family member)

Scissors (one for each family member)

Paper plates or paint cups (one for each family member)

Old magazines and photos

Newspaper to cover the table

Optional: Copies of your family goals, vision statement, and mission statement

Things to Keep in Mind

The younger the children the smaller the letter - Smaller letters will take less time to cover and will be more suitable for younger children with smaller attention spans

The more children you have the bigger the letter - If you have a lot of kids, you might want to opt for a bigger letter, so there is less crowding and less arguments.

Short last names - if you have a short last name you may want to go with smaller letters and spell out your entire last name rather than just the first letter.

If your children are younger consider breaking this activity up into smaller segments.  Use this first segment to discuss your family characteristics, goals, mission, and values and then use the remaining time to cut out the pictures.  Save the gluing of the pictures and words for a different time.

Turn the TV off prior to starting this activity.  TV will only distract the kids and take away from any meaningful conversation.

The Activity

Set aside some time on your regular family night or on your family calendar for this activity.  Depending on the size of your family and the size of letter you chose, you will need about 60 - 90 minutes for this activity.

As a family begin discussing the things important to you as a family and what qualities and characteristics make your family unique.  If available use your family goals and mission statement to help you get started.  For example for some families this may be things like doing well in school, having regular family nights, taking fun vacations, or being open and honest.  Be sure to include any hobbies or special interests.

After you are finished discussing the things important to your family and your family characteristics, begin cutting out pictures and words from magazines that express all of these qualities.  If old enough, give each family member a pair of scissors and a magazine and let them go through each one cutting out different pictures and words.  While cutting out pictures, take the time to talk about things going on your lives.  This busy time is often a good time to check in with the kids on how school is going, remember old memories, or plan family outings.

Once all of your pictures and words are cut out, it is now time to begin attaching them to your letter.  Cover your work space with newspaper to protect it from the Mod Podge and give each family member a paint brush and small paper plate or paint cup with Mod Podge in it.  Using the pictures and words you cut out, use the Mod Podge to glue them to the letter.  This part can be messy and a little tricky on some of the angles, so parents may want to let the kids do the attaching while they help and assist.

After your letter is completely covered, let it dry overnight.  Once completely dry, display the letter in a prominent spot where everyone can easily see it and enjoy it.

Good luck!

I want to give a shout out of thanks to my dear friend Louise for this idea.  You will be forever in my heart. - Polly

Thanks to Cedar Valley Publishing, we are giving away a complete set of the Let’s Get Ready books, Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten, Let’s Get Ready for First Grade, and Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten - Spanish Edition, by Stacey Kannenberg. These award winning books are the perfect way to help your child get ready for Kindergarten and First Grade.

Covering the basics like ABC’s, shapes, colors and counting to 100, as well as introductory money, clock, and hand writing skills, the Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten book lays it all out in a simple easy to read format.  Once your child has mastered the Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten book they can move onto Let’s Get Ready for First Grade where they can learn about vowels, consonants, skip counting, odd and even numbers, simple addition, and much much more!  Each book is laminated so children can use a dry erase marker in the appropriate places to practice writing their name, address, and simple sentences.

These books are great to use at home, on car rides, or while waiting for the doctor.  They also make a great classroom gift for your local school or library.  I have personally used the Let’s Get Ready books for my two youngest girls and highly recommend them to any busy parent looking for a comprehensive way to prepare their child for school.

To be entered to win this free set of books, all you need to do is be a fan of our Families with Purpose Facebook page.  Simply head on over to our Facebook page, become a fan, and wait to see if your name gets drawn.  The contest ends on Monday, September 21, 2009.  The winner’s name will be drawn at 4:00PM EST on September 21, 2009 and the winner will be notified via Facebook.  The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Here are some ideas (reminders) to help extend the celebration of summer’s meaningful moments, all of which are opportunities to grow your relationships, learn more about each other, laugh out loud, discover new things together, and have TONS of fun.

THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH PHOTOS

Whether your summer memories included a trip to the Disneyland or a dude ranch, wearing costumes to a friend’s birthday party or selling homegrown produce at your local farmer’s market, use these methods to relive the moments.

Scrapbook and Shadow Boxes

Before you begin your project, decide whether you like traditional or digital scrapbooking. Either you’re computer savvy, or you’re not.   Either way, you’ll end up at a craft store or on the internet and you must choose a theme.   Talk about your favorite summer memories.   What was the most fun?   What still makes you laugh?   What surprised you? Then tailor the project to your child’s interests.   If he wants to gather objects that won’t tuck into a book, consider alternate ways to preserve the collection, such as a shadow box he can display on a wall.

Here are a few theme ideas:

All About Me (Us)

Exploring the Great Outdoors

Roadtrips R Us

Somewhere Out There is…

Summer Buddies

A Camper’s Life

Video

Videography has come a long way in the past few decades.   Before digital camcorders, home movie buffs had to use VHS camcorders, and before that, 8mm film.   Fortunately, smaller cameras are capable of producing clearer images and the whole process of capturing, preserving and enjoying memories is much easier.

SUGGESTION: Schedule and then devote time to putting finishing touches on your videos.   At the very least, add labels and some front and back end graphics if you have the software.   Don’t make the mistake of putting one person in charge of the project.   The fun part is working together.

If you don’t have a video camera, you can create dynamic videos by uploading digital photos onto websites such as animoto.com.   Users of Animoto pay a $25 yearly membership fee allowing them to create an unlimited number of videos for one low price.   Animoto adds the fancy special effects, graphics and music; however, a project can be remixed if you don’t like their choice.   A high-resolution version will cost $5 extra.   Animoto is one of many websites offering this service.

Lastly, for a quick and easy way to make a time capsule of your summer vacation, find a large, clean, wide mouth jar such as a mayonnaise jar.   Gather ticket stubs, shells, maps, souvenirs, subway tokens, pressed flowers or anything with sentimental value.   Be sure to check local regulations if you want to gather natural items, such as fossils, feathers, or plants.   If you include photos, write names and dates on the back of images.   Place all of your items inside the jar.   On brightly colored paper, write a few notes about each event after interviewing family members.

IMPORTANT: Don’t put your scrapbook, photobook, shadow box, DVD or souvenir jar in a drawer. Instead, place it in a prominent place of honor so children can revive their cherished summer memories for many years to come.

By Jodie Randisi, author of 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED! The Checklist and Journal for Busy Families.  www.201thingstodo.com

So what’s a busy family to do?  Most of us are cash-strapped as it is, working hard to get the necessary school supplies for this year, add to the ever-growing child’s wardrobe (so their legs aren’t poking out three inches further than the bottom of their jeans!), and keep up with the activity and sports fees as well as the family’s living expenses.

The IRS has created a college savings option called the “529 Plan”, aptly named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.  The plans are operated at the state level, but you can use funds saved in a 529 in your state toward the costs of any college around the country – meaning you don’t have to have any idea where your child will end up spending their college years when you start saving.  In fact, you don’t even have to stress too much over whether or not junior will attend college, because the plan has some really nice features built-in that give you options for the money you’ve saved if your child ends up doing something other than going to college.  For example, if you save money in a 529 plan for your child and he or she doesn’t go to college, you can either withdraw the money for non-educational expenses (and pay a penalty fee), or you can transfer the money to any other family member.  If one of your children goes to college, he or she could benefit from the siblings 529 plan funds; or the money could be transferred to cousins, aunts, uncles, or even saved for your grandchildren!

All states have at least one 529 plan available, but each state has slightly different rules and regulations for the plan.  Most states provide tax incentives to the person investing in a 529 plan, and there are federal tax laws that offer tax benefits for investing in these plans, as well.  The tax benefits combined with the ability to transfer the money fee-free to other family members are two of the best advantages of this type of college savings plan, and the reason why many families opt for a 529 plan instead of simply saving the money in a money market account or certificate of deposit.

You can enroll in a 529 plan by applying directly with the 529 plan manager in your state, or through your financial advisor.  There are two types of 529 plans – they are categorized as either a prepaid plan or a savings plan.  The savings 529 plan is similar to a 401(k) or IRA.  You can select how to invest in mutual funds and similar investments, and the 529 account will increase or decrease based on the performance of the investments you’ve selected.  The prepaid 529 plan allows you to basically “prepay” for the cost of public colleges.  If your child decides to attend college out of state or go to a private college instead of a public college, you can convert the savings to another plan that can be used for private institutions and out-of-state schools.

So, while you’re working through the back to school shopping lists for your children, it’s a good time to also consider opening a 529 plan.  The younger your child is, the more years you have to maximize those savings and earn more before they’re ready for college.  You can set up automatic deductions from your bank account to make deposits to the accounts; or you can use one of the many services that will allow you to receive contributions to your child’s 529 plan from family and friends, like FreshmanFund.com.  Additionally, if you are a member of Upromise.com, you can move your earnings through Upromise into your child’s 529 plan and get more value out of those earnings!

Trisha Wagner is a freelance writer for DepositAccounts.com, where you can compare rates of checking accounts from dozens of banks in one place. Trisha writes regularly on the topics of personal finance and savings accounts.

Summer is a great time to reconnect with our families.  Hopefully, all of you have been able to relax and spend time with those most important to you.  Spending time with our children is one of the most valuable gifts we have.  As we are enjoying these special times, it is hard to believe that the school year will quickly arrive.  You can be ready without any frantic effort with some simple planning and time management techniques.

The first thing I recommend is to start a “to do” list.  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.  In the beginning, a simple lined piece of paper is all you need to start brainstorming.  For a final version, you can use the Back to School Checklist from Families With Purpose or a simple list with room for a due date and a place for your completion check mark.  The important thing to do is to keep track of what you need to do and what you have already done.

Next, talk with your children to find out what they are both excited and anxious about for the coming school year.  If they are nervous about having all of their supplies together, you might want to move school supply shopping to the top of the list.  If they take a daily medication and haven’t needed to take it over the summer, they might be nervous about remembering to take their medicine.  Let them guide your discussion.

Third, brainstorm on your own and with others.  Talk with your spouse, your child’s doctor, coach, tutor and/or any other support person in their lives.  What do they recommend doing to help your child start the school year successfully?

You won’t have a problem developing a list, but here are a few of my favorite suggestions.

• At least two weeks before school starts, start moving your children’s bedtime closer to their regular time.
• Make time to purchase school supplies at least a week before school starts. Look for sales and make time to go somewhere else if the first store doesn’t have what you need.
• Ensure that your child has a planner that will work for them. Their school may provide one that works, you can customize a teacher’s lesson plan book, check out the blog a mom’s view of ADHD for a customized planner, or visit your local office products store.
• Look into a family calendar to help keep everyone’s schedules straight once the school year gets in swing. I have been very impressed by the family calendars and mom’s planners at Families With Purpose.
• If your child has attention challenges or ADHD, check out tips from websites like Attitude magazine’s site and About.com.

If your child is in middle school or high school, give him or her the opportunity to make their own list.  Help them brainstorm and review the list, but it will be very empowering to have them make their own list this year.

Finally, after you have finished your brainstorming, prioritize your list and assign a due date.  Spread out the activities so that you can enjoy the rest of your summer.   When you are planning, the most important aspect is to take action and start well enough in advance so that the process is not overwhelming.  Decide when to start and honor your commitment to yourself.

Laura Rolands is the founder of LSR Coaching and Consulting, LLC. She is a coach whose passion is to support, lead and inspire independence and success for people who have either been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD or who are facing other attention-related challenges. Her clients include individuals with attention-related challenges and/or their parents. If you have any questions or more suggestions to add, please visit her website at www.MyAttentionCoach.com .

Write or type them down on a separate schedule and simply post them either on your refrigerator with a magnetic clip or on a bulletin board.  Just be sure to post them where you will naturally see them every day such as in the family kitchen or in your office.  You can create your own schedule or use one of our free daily routine schedules.

Dry erase boards are a great way of writing out your personal routines as well as the kids’ routines.  Hanging in a central location or on the back of your kids’ bedroom doors, dry erase boards have the benefit of being easily updated or changed.

If you use a daily planner, use the notes section to write your daily routines.  Every night before going to bed, lay out your planner on the kitchen counter open to your daily routine page so that you can easily reference the routines in the morning.  Use the same practice at lunch time for your afternoon routines and in the evening for your evening routines.  You may want to write them in pencil in case you need to make changes.

Write your daily routines on index cards and either paperclip them to your family calendar or hang them on your refrigerator.

If you use a family organizer, simply add them as one of the pages and open your organizer to that page every morning, afternoon, and evening for quick reference.

If you use an electronic calendar such as Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar, create recurring tasks with the details of your routines.  To keep your lists from becoming overcrowded and overwhelming, create one task that incorporates all of your morning, afternoon, and evening tasks by writing out the individual tasks in the subject line or in the notes section.  Similar to this example here:

Click on Image to Enlarge

Good luck!

Dry erase boards are a great way to leave family messages or keep track of lists, chores, and daily routines.  Available in 5 great designs and a lot of great colors, these dry erase boards can be used in the kitchen, library, or on the backs of your kids’ bedroom doors.

The Weekly.agenda is an all new mom planner for us this year and is already selling very well.  This week at a glance planner is sleek and functional and comes complete with do lists, shopping lists, a week at a glance planner (1 page per week), month at a glance calendars, a handy storage pocket, and a generous note section.

And last but not least, the all new SchoolPriorities.pad is the latest addition to our back to school product line.  This handy notepad helps keep kids focused and set priorities throughout the school year.