The following is a guest post from momAgenda COMM blogger Jill Krause.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and this is a great time of year to dust off your crafting supplies and fabric stashes. You know, before it gets too hot to move in a few months.

Here are few of my favorite Pinterest-inspired crafts for spring:

The No-Sew Knotted Headband

Pinterest link here

Original tutorial link here

I love this craft for 3 reasons. You can upcyle old t-shirts (because who out there DOESN’T have several that need to be tossed?). It’s amazingly simple, yet produces a very intricate result. Plus, you learn how to tie cool knots which I’m sure you and your little helpers could utilize in many different ways this summer!

Fathers Day Tie Wreath

Pinterest Link here

Original link here

With Mothers Day behind us, it’s time to start focusing on Dad. Now, I don’t recommend raiding Dad’s closet and robbing him of all his ties for this project (though he may be happy to see them all go), but there are plenty of ties to be found at local Goodwill and Salvation Army shops. This would be a great craft for small hands to help with, too.

Stacked Flower Pots

Pinterest Link here

Original link here

Of course, spring means flowers and gardens and beautifying your outdoor spaces. I love this simple idea so much I’m going to have to steal it! What a great way to create a substantial arrangement without spending an arm and a leg on one large pot and plant!

Embroidery Hoop Organization

Pinterest Link here

Original link here

If you’re in the mood for a little spring cleaning and organization, try putting together some of these fabric covered embroidery hoops to help organize and prettify your wall space. This is one craft I’ve already conquered. I made a hair bow organizer for my daughter out of an embroidery hoop!

Link to blog post here

Link to image here

What crafts are on your to-do list for spring? 

Jill is mostly known on the web as author of the blog Baby Rabies. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and of course Pinterest.

The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Beth Anne Ballance.

After six years behind a desk, I found myself at home with a two-year-old and a new gig at Microsoft as a Product Manager. I always dreamed of working at home and with the new opportunity, I was determined to succeed. I knew that I needed time to devote to my work, but I also wanted more time with my son. I still had a house and husband that needed my attention (plus a blog and several social media partnerships). I had a lot on my plate and knew it was time to get organized.

1) Get a good planner. I live, swear, and die by my momAgenda desktop planner. I keep my schedule up top and then give my husband, son, and blog the “children” sections below. I run my to-do list on the left side of each week and menu plan at the bottom.

2) Childcare is a must. If it’s a full-time gig, get childcare. Our nanny lived with us for the three meatiest weeks of my gig where I was logging 7-14 hour days. When it settled into a more part-time job, I was able to work during nap, evenings, and outside play time.

3) Be smart about multitasking. It’s beautiful outside, your kid is going nuts and you have a metrics report due in an hour? Grab a blanket and head outside! On the nice days, Harrison played in the backyard while I sat on a blanket and fired off emails for an hour. He was happy to be outside, I was booking hours and we weren’t locked in a power struggle of misery.

4) Take advantage of the small moments. I eat faster than my son, so while he finished his lunch, I cleaned up the breakfast and lunch dishes. While he watched 30 minutes of Curious George in the morning, I made the beds and tossed in a load of laundry before settling down to my Outlook account. If I was waiting on a response to an email, I’d write while waiting for my email to ping a new message.

5) Keep a family planner. We keep the momAgenda home office planner in the kitchen, laid out the same way as my personal desktop planner. That way, my husband can always see what’s on tap for the coming weeks. He can also add in his golf tournaments, days he’ll work late and any requests he has for dinner.

5) Sometimes being alive & employed at the end of the day is good enough. The kid is filthy and ate junk all day – and spent way too much time in front of the Disney channel? It’s cool. He’s still alive. My email is full and I had to shut myself in the bathroom to take a conference call? It’s cool. I’m still employed. Tomorrow is another chance to do great things!

6)  Dare I mention to enjoy?  The best time of my life was spent in the mornings laughing over breakfast with my little boy, and then opening up my laptop to delve into a challenge.  Working at home is full of obstacles, but nothing that a little planning and organization can’t contain.  It truly is the best of both worlds.

I am so thankful for the time I spent at home this past spring, working while being home with my little boy.  I’m forever indebted to the skills I gained at Microsoft and the confidence the position brought.  Recently, I went back to a full-time office position that I love, but I will always remember those spring afternoons in our backyard, laptop in hand and momma-eye on my little boy.

Beth Anne Ballance is a born and bred Southern Belle. She blogs at The Heir to Blair using words and pictures to celebrate the challenges of motherhood and the joy of life. Connect with Beth  Anne on Twitter and Facebook.

The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Toni Patton.

Spring is here which means it’s time to put away the heavy coats and sweaters and bring out the sandals and fun colors. Having grown up in Florida, I am a big fan of Spring and Summer so today I want to share with you three looks I think are great for busy moms. Whether you are looking for a daytime simple, but fun look or nighttime ensemble, chic spring is the time to get back into the “spring” of things!

First up for a daytime casual are jean shorts and tank tops. Pair it with the shoe of your choice and some fun bright accessories and you’ll look casual with a side of fabulous.

Check out this look I shared on Pinterest doing just that:

Next up is possibly one of my favorite clothing articles to bring out in spring…the sundress. Cute, comfy and casual – It’s perfect for around the house or Sunday morning services. I love to pair my sundresses with just a few accessories, sandals and a floppy hat (when out in the sun). It’s such an easy look to create and the possibilities are endless with sundresses. You can even take the look and make it appropriate for night time by adding heels and vamped up accessories.

Check out this fun daytime look:

Finally, a mom needs a night out. This is the time of year when we all come out of winter hibernation with a fresh look on life. Whether you and the special someone in your life want to have a date night sans kids or you need that girl time with your friends, it’s fun to get a little gussied up! Whether you are going to hit dinner and a movie or hit the hotspot in town, a touch of gold is perfect for springtime fun.

And sometimes, it’s not the outfit itself that does the talking but the shoes and accessories as seen here:

No matter if you are staying home, hitting the beach for a stroll, or heading out to have some fun, Spring is one season where you can really shine in the fashion department! Don’t forget to use your momAgenda Desktop to keep track of the sales! What’s even better than donning cute looks this spring is getting them on sale of course!

What are some of your favorite fashion tips for spring?

Toni shares stories about parenting, life and everything in between on her blog A Daily Dose of Toni. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

He stood at the front of the classroom, crowded with 3^rd graders and their parents, and with an impish grin, stated the name of his poem: “Jenna – A Rapping Poem.”

And then he started swinging his hips wildly back and forth while reciting his “rap” about his beloved older sister, Jenna. The whole room burst out laughing so no one could hear the words of his poem, but that was ok, because the words didn’t really matter. I laughed so hard that my video is messed up… I could not hold the camera still. I could see the pride on my baby’s face. He was original and real, and he made everyone laugh.

It was a precious, priceless moment for me. I was so proud of my little guy for being himself up there. We sometimes joke about the slightly different expectations of him, given he’s the 4^th child. I can admit that while he is good enough student, he is not particularly serious about school, and you know what? I am totally ok with that.

So when one of the moms approached me afterward and made a snide comment, which I will not repeat here because she might read this blog, I was flabbergasted.

So let me go on record with something. If my kid being funny in the poetry slam doesn’t fit into your mold of what a “good student” looks like, then listen… I don’t give a crap. I have never heard of a study in which 3^rd graders who were serious about poetry went on to find success, happiness and love later in life.

Here are my desires for my kids: I desire for each of them to be themselves, to live with open hearts, to find happiness and love, to find success as they define it.

If my 4^th kid is funny, if he makes light of the poetry slam, you know how that makes me feel? It makes me feel proud. It makes me feel like celebrating him. Because he is not afraid to be himself. He is not afraid to look silly. Having fun is an important part of life for him – imagine that! In my opinion, we need more people like Jamie in our stressed-out, perfectionist world.

There was a time in my life when I thought the most important qualities in my kids were their intelligence, and their ambition to succeed in school and in their extracurricular activities. I now know that was a projection on my part; if they were successful, that meant I was successful as a mom.

Now I know that nothing is more important than my kids learning to be themselves. Their imperfect, sometimes silly, sometimes smart, sometimes funny little selves.

The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM

Having two sets of twins that are three years apart, it is no easy task to find a summer program that fits our needs.  Last year, the camp that we chose turned out to be a disaster! My kids hated it. They were completely bored and they affectionately nicknamed it “prison camp.” Now, whenever we drive by they close their eyes and frown at the camp.

Because lots of programs in the area do not accept kids under 6 and my boys were only 5 at the time, we tried a church based camp. It was free, but they did not live up to our expectations. My kids have warned me that I better not send them back to that camp. And that is fine with me because I just want them to be happy. The girls attended a couple of awesome camps that I will look into again this year since the boys will be 6 and they will easily be admitted.

However, since I am no longer working a 9-5 job I am considering finding a flexible camp that will let them come only part-time since I will be able to spend more time with them. Of course, the challenge then is finding things to keep busy. Since my own schedule is so busy, I plan to actually schedule time to get things done with my kids. Yes, appointments with my own kids are necessary. If your schedule looks like mine, think about these 3 simple tips to help you find balance:

1. Schedule time with your kids and put it on your calendar now. To keep track of my own schedule and my kids summer schedule, I plan to use my http://www.momagenda.com/products.cfm?cID=21&pID=90” momAgenda Desktop to plan some fun things to do on my calendar. Of course plans might change because scheduling things over a month in advance can get tricky. But, at least it can be used as a guide.

Some things that I have planned (in my head, so far) to do with the kids include:

• A train ride downtown to Millennium Park
• A trip to the Brookfield Zoo
• A trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo
• A boat trip up the Chicago river and around the lake front
• A trip to Six Flags Great America
• At least 3 days to hang at the beach
• And maybe even a weekend road trip

2. Make sure that all of your own appointments are up to date. There are many things coming up that we might know about a month or more in advance. RSVP early, and get it added to your calendar right away so that you will not forget. Summer time in Chicago is a busy time for events and outings. I already have things on my calendar into August. And that is just the beginning!

3. Coordinate time with Daddy. Make sure that planning family outings matches up to Daddy’s schedule, too. Add it to his calendar and remind him often. There’s nothing worse than having a great day planned, then having to change it because you did not know about the “xyz meeting” across town.
Besides outings and fun, I have several things that I would like to get done around the house and I want the kids to help me. The two main areas are to clean out the garage and the basement. There is so much valuable space there that could be used for fun rather than storage. We have lived in this house for almost six years. Some items got banished to the basement never to be heard from again. My kids think it is fun to hang out in the basement (go figure), so I plan to make a day of it. We can hang out down there if we get the job done.

And of course summer means that there has to be fun for Mommy! Although I have a very busy few months planned with hosting events, I also have some fun planned. This July/August will be my 20 year class reunion. Yes, 20 years! At the beginning of August I will be on a cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate. I am very much looking forward to relaxing under the sun without 4 kids calling my name. I will plan to get a massage and just try not to think about my to-do list.

Ahhh….

What do you have planned for your family for the summer and what’s your secret to keeping the family organized this time of year?

Kris Cain is a member of the Council of Media Moms at momAgenda. She writes about technology and her busy life on her blog, Little Tech Girl. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

The following is a guest post from momAgenda COMM blogger Kim-Marie Evans.

 It’s no secret that we travel a lot – or as my husband says, “Too much.”

I’m often asked how we do it.

Am I a closet crack addict? Do I have a team of secret nannies that I never talk about? Why would I want to be constantly on the road with small cranky kids? Am I on the lamb?

We travel because we can, because it makes memories, because you only get one life.

Do you remember what you had for breakfast? What you wore yesterday? What you did in the afternoon?

Me neither.

But I vividly remember the night I woke up my then 7 year old daughter, carried her down the beach in our hotel robes and watched a midnight lunar eclipse.

The first time my littlest slept through the night? That would be in his car seat in a closet in a Puerto Rican hotel (I will deny this if you call the authorities). The time my son started a vomit domino effect while I was driving to the ski resort in a snowstorm? Yep, remember that too.

The memories aren’t all sunshine and roses, but they are almost always funny, at least in retrospect.  Family travel is one of the few times we are making collective memories. We have dinner together every night, we try new things; snails, parasailing, the Tower of Terror…

We talk.

We nap.

We fight.

But for that moment in time, we are suspended from reality, all sharing the same little bubble we’ve created together and writing the story of our family that will be re-read for years to come.

Kim-Marie Evans is a New York area mom who writes about tips and tricks to make traveling with a large family easier on her blog The Luxury Travel Mom. Connect with Kim-Marie on Twitter and Facebook.

Heather Reinhard

The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM leader, Heather Reinhard.

If you’re a Mom, you know the drill…

Sometimes, Mother’s Day is unlike any other day. It often doesn’t feel super special because somehow, we *still* end up still chasing after the kids, changing diapers and cleaning up the meal we slaved over a stove to make. There have been certain years in which I remember not getting out of the kitchen and there’s something very wrong with this picture, especially when we find ourselves doting on the men on Father’s Day which is their special day.

But what about us?

We may be lucky enough to get the day off from having to do the laundry on Mother’s Day, but somehow – those men in our lives don’t always pamper us the way we should be pampered, especially on our special day.

Mother’s Day is the ONE day a year we get a free pass.

A free pass to do absolutely nothing.

And of course, let’s not forget we do love to receive gifts and we would never say no to that little blue box from Tiffany’s, a fabulous designer handbag or a new pair of heels because we are women – we love and DESERVE some shiny new jewelry, a fabulous new bag or those designer pumps.

But what we love even more than perhaps the latest fashion trend is to be appreciated.

We want to feel valued for the absolute hard work and sacrifices we make for our children and families every single day.

We want to be respected for the job we do as moms – whether we work in the home or out of the home, ALL moms work 24/7. And we work hard.

Damn hard.

It’s *the* toughest job on the planet.

And you know what we want even more than some respect and appreciation?

We want some damn help.

And now, we’re speaking directly to the MEN in our lives:

That’s right, on Mother’s Day, we want YOU to scrub a toilet, take the garbage out and clean the dishes. We want YOU to fold the laundry, make the kids lunches and help with their homework. We want YOU to plan, shop and cook for a meal – and even clean up afterwards.

We want YOU to take charge when it comes down to making all of the appointments, calling the teacher and shopping for that birthday party gift.

We want YOU to do it all for one day.

One measly day, so we can put our feet up and do absolutely nothing.

That’s what moms REALLY want on Mother’s Day – so guys, skip the jewelry and those fancy shoes because the fact is, giving us a 24 hour much needed and well deserved break is worth its weight in gold.

Heather is the Leader of the Council of Media Moms and owner of the popular parenting blog Theta Mom. She also owns her own business at Theta Mom Media. Connect with Heather on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s such a cliché right?

Put yourself first. You can’t take care of anyone else unless you take care of you.

Blah, blah, blah.

This is what we all tell each other, but never practice ourselves.

And then I collapsed. At the Central Park Zoo.

Of course I hadn’t eaten all day so I jammed a nasty burger in my mouth while entertaining my 6 year-old and rushing to the sea lion show. Next thing I knew I was headed for the hospital. Who knew I had a gallbladder full of angry stones? I was scheduled for surgery the next day and my “to-do list” was whittled to one item: get well.

Did I mention I couldn’t even get a signal in the ER? No tweeting, Facebooking, answering e-mails, checking in, pinning, posting or even old fashioned phone calling.

The next 36 hours were a blur of morphine and Jerry Springer. When I finally went home I gave myself a full three days to recover before I headed out on my next trip. It was a press trip to cover the inaugural cruise of the newest Disney ship. How could I miss that? Plus, it was on my list, therefore, it must be done.

So I went to Florida, and I collapsed again.

As my girlfriend said, “I hate it when God has to yell.”

Clearly I wasn’t getting the message.

It’s time to put myself first.

Why is it so hard for us moms to take care of ourselves? Why do we make sure everyone else has homemade organic lunches, bubble baths and a good night’s sleep while we survive on a combination of coffee, Advil, and anxiety?

So I’ve spent the last week acting like a man (feel free to send hate mail boys, I can take it). I order take out, lay on the couch a lot and generally let the chaos pile up around me. Yesterday I watched four movies in a row, then I took a nap.

Guess what? Nobody died. I’m so relaxed, I’m not sure I’d notice if they did.

As God is my witness, “I” will be at the top of my to-do list from now on. And yes, I plan to use this as an excuse to ditch that whole “budget, sex, homemade dinner” resolution. I mean, God was yelling – so who am I to argue?

Kim-Marie Evans is a New York area mom who writes about tips and tricks to make traveling with a large family easier on her blog The Luxury Travel Mom. Connect with Kim-Marie on Twitter and Facebook.

Whether you like to grab your laptop and take it to work at your local coffee shop, are a road warrior who uses the car as a mobile office, or rack up miles as a frequent flier, do you work efficiently when on the go?

It’s a skill to be able to set up work virtually from any location and here are 7 tips for successfully setting up a portable office.

Invest in a bag that is roomy yet comfortable. Hauling around a laptop can take its toll on your back so invest in a bag that has space for everything you need and is comfortable to carry during long waits in a TSA security line. Timbuk2 has great messenger bags and if you like backpacks, Incase has some sleek ones with lots of organizational pockets for Mac lovers.

Keep your devices organized. Kangaroom’s Personal Media Pouch keeps everything nicely organized thanks to 6 pockets that are just the right size for your MP3 player, compact video camera, and all their associated chargers. If you have a hard time telling which cords are which, label them. Mabel’s Labels Cord Control label pack are specifically designed to organize your devices.

Pack your cords in your carry on. During my last cross country trip, my flight had a 3 ½ hour weather delay that could have been much longer. It gave me plenty of time to catch up on work and wander into a tech store at the airport where I asked the employees what their best sellers were. They said chargers. With air travel being just a bit unpredictable at times, you never know when you might be delayed. A slight delay can turn into a longer delay that can end up draining your devices of their juice. Pack smart and put those devices in your carry on just in case.

Bring along a mini plugging strip. Have you ever had the problem of too many devices and not enough outlets? That’s a common problem when I travel so I pack the Belkin USB Mini Hub that features 3 outlets and 2 USB ports which allows me to charge my laptop, phone, tablet, and camera battery simultaneously while leaving room for still more plugs. Traveling internationally? Bring along Travelon’s Universal 3-in-1 Adapter, Converter, and USB Charger.

Invest in a mobile USB device or portable hotspot. Depending on where you are going, you may be blessed by the gods of free wifi. Airports such as San Francisco, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Washington Dulles offer complimentary wireless access but others charge a small fortune for connectivity. Having your own reliable way to connect not only is a smart internet security move but doesn’t make you dependent on the speed of someone else’s network.

Don’t always rely on the cloud. Cloud computing is great when you have an internet connection. Not all airlines have in-flight wifi so if you work solely on Google Docs, you may need an option like Evernote. Evernote works across devices like iPhone, iPad, and laptops and independently of the web so you can create a document on one device and then access it on others when you have an internet connection again.

Take along a notebook and a pen just in case. After all, you never know when technology might fail you and you have to rely on old school pen and paper!

What are some of your tips for creating a portable office?

Leticia Barr is the Founder of Tech Savvy Mama, a site that assists parents in navigating the ever-changing world of technology Connect with Leticia on Twitter and Facebook.

As a busy mom with four kids and a tech blog, I am always looking for ways to do more in less time. I have enlisted help with these 5 tech tools:

1. Online Grocery Shopping. I use PeaPod because that is what is available in my area. PeaPod is linked with my local grocery store and I can place my entire order online and have the groceries delivered to my house when it is convenient. I usually do one large order every month and then in between, we will go to the grocery store if needed. My grocery list is saved on the site each time I order and this is also a great way to save money because I don’t make any impulse buys.

2. Online Contacts. It doesn’t matter which service you use. We use Google because it syncs well with our phones and all computers. Each member of my family has their own contact group and now I have all of the information for my kid’s friends no matter where I am.

3. Local Library’s Online Services. Most local libraries offer online books and resources if you have a library card. You check out the book just like you would a print book and you can usually check it out for 2-4 weeks depending on the book. My local library also offers tech books and other services which have been very useful when my kids are learning something that I do not know anything about. We go to the online library services and see what we can find. So, check with your local library and see what they offer. In most cases, it is completely free if you have a library card.

4. PBS Learning Media. PBS Learning Media is a new resource that my kids also love. PBS offers this great resource which is geared towards teachers, but is so helpful for homework. My younger kids use it all the time to learn more about whatever topic they are learning in school. My 9 year old is a very visual learner, so finding videos that explain the concepts is awesome. The topics are broken down by subject and grade.

5. Volunteer Spot. VolunteerSpot saves you a lot of time and effort when it comes to coordinating volunteers for just about anything and it is free. If you have kids, then you volunteer. All of my kid’s schools have also started using VolunteerSpot so I now have all my volunteer schedules in one spot. VolunteerSpot lets you set up schedules and volunteers can sign up (without needing to sign up for an account.)

What tech tools do you use to help you save time?

Michele is CEO of Mom Geek Media and creator of Scraps of My Geek Life. Connect with Michele on Twitter and Facebook.