Keeping up

Wow!  Has anyone ever mentioned how busy owning a business can become.  I knew I was in for a ride when I started my own business, but this ride sometimes goes way too fast!  There are so many things to do besides the everyday tasks of running a business.  Here is a quick update on what we have done.   

Miss Plan It All Inc., is now accredited by the Better Business Beureau and we  have joined the ICLMA, which stands for International Concierge and LifeStyle Management Association, they have been a great educational resource.   Our website, www.missplanitall.com has been updated with a “resources” page where you will find several of my favorite places and resources in the local Tampa Bay area.  Also working on several other projects that will involve teaching and certifications as well as adding more concierge type services for moms!

All of the things above come after family time!  That means I try to get as much as I can done.  To add even more family time to my already busy schedule,  I have joined a mom group called Small Fry Society, in the Tampa Bay, Fl area.  It’s a great concept; moms & babies get together for socials once a week.  Each social is something different and provides an opportunity for moms to get to know each other.  I love it!  Only thing is, I always have to make sure I put it on my schedule every week and that I make time for it.  To those working moms out there, I strongly suggest joining a group where you can meet other women and have some down time to have fun.

Trying to balance

Lately things have really a balancing act around here.  I knew I had my work cut out for me when I decided to jump into the Miss Plan It All business, but I did not anticipate getting really busy, really fast.  It’s great to have so many inquiries coming in and projects to book, but at the same time, I am scared to take on too much too soon!  I often find myself telling clients that they need to find time to do this, and find time to do that, now, I feel like a client myself.  I just don’t have anyone telling me how to find more time in the day.  I have not even had time to make the time to blog!  When I decided to start a blog, I thought it would be easy.  I could blog about all kinds of things.  As it turns out, while I have tons of things to blog about, I don’t have time to sit down and write.  So, I have decided to make time.  Just like I tell my clients to do.    I remind myself that it is all a balancing act.  Getting my thoughts on the screen are a great way of letting others know that they are not alone in the all time balancing game. 

To all those out there working, raising families, doing a ton of other things and blogging, I am with you!  It’s not easy, but it is fun!  Now, if I could only find time for an exercise routine again!  Yikes!!!

Road trip day 4.. Indiana bound

Woke up this morning in Louisville KY after another good night sleep.  So proud of my boys.  Miss Plan It All, planned for sleepless nights, but they are really coming through for me.  We got ready had our breakfast and got on the road again.  Our drive would only be about three hours.  Which then turned into about four.  Still not too bad.  We decided we would be staying with my husbands maternal grandmother, Betty because, my husbands father’s house(where we usually stay) was already full with guests.  My husband’s sister was already staying there.  I was looking forward to staying with grandma Betty because she is an amazing cook and I knew it would really make her happy to have a house full of guests.  Especially two little guests in particular. 

After settling in at grandma’s we headed to my husband’s fathers house for a cookout.  I knew my toddler would be loving the scenery and all the land around him to roam.  I say he is my outdoor boy.  He loves to be outside no matter how hot or cold it is.  We visited my husband’s grandfather as well, since he lives close by.  It is amazing to me to see my children with their grandparents and great grandparents.  I did not have either growing up and it is important to me for my kids to be around theirs.  There is nothing like the love of a grandparent.  On a side note, I forgot that the sun doesn’t go down in Indiana in the summer until ten o’clock at night.  This is not good news to a mother trying to get kids to bed.  I said I was not sticking to a schedule, but this was putting bed time way out of line.

Another good day on this wonderful road trip.  Last week, when we were still home,part of the Miss Plan It All’s business included running errands for myself.   I ran all my errands to include little things I knew we could use on the road.  A few of those things  that come to mind right now because we have already used them are: to go laundry detergent perfect for one load and  After Bite wipes-I knew one of us would get stung by something.  Luckily it was me and not one of the boys.  Keep these items in mind for the next time you travel.

Planning the road trip…

We are two days away from taking off.  As promised, as Miss Plan It All, I will be giving updates on what I have done and will do to make this trip with the boys as smooth as possible.  By now, you probably know we are driving to my husband’s home town in Indiana, with several stops along the way.  It’s me, my husband our two-year old and our 81/2 month old.  Yesterday I started my day with writing the list of things we would need for the boys and I did my shopping for things we did not already have.  I also started sorting out what I was going to pack for all of us.  Decided on the following: 1 weekend bag for boys and for my husband and I.  Since we would be staying at two different places over the weekend, I figured there would be no need to carry out everything we are bringing.  Sounds like a brilliant plan, until I have to decide what outfits for weekend bag and what outfits for rest of week!  Yikes! I have my work cut out.

Today, my husband took my car to get one of those things installed on the top for extra storage!  Extra storage???? What, the trunk of my midsize SUV is not enough.  I guess not.  Now, I have to make sure I don’t park inside a garage for the next two days because my car won’t fit.  I believe the thing is called a Tulle or maybe that is the brand.  Anyway, point is we have more room for more stuff!  The up side to this extra storage unit is that I won’t be able to reach it.  So my husband has to get up there each time.  The down side to this extra storage thing is that I can’t reach it.  So I better keep what the boys will need on hand.  You know they are going to want something that is up there as soon as we get moving!  Here is my list of items to pack.  Hoping this post helps my readers in case they are crazy enough to take a road trip!

Things for boys:

Daytime: Diapers, diaper cream, baby wipes, baggies for poopy diapers, 2 outfits per child, per day.  Total days = 9, total # of outfits needed= 18 plus one each for photo w/ great grandpa, plus 9 pairs of PJ’s each, socks for both and shoes for the 2-year-old! Bibs, and tons of burp cloths!

Bath time: Wash cloths, soap, bubbles, bath toys, bath mat, bath ring for little one, rubber duck that covers faucet (yes, we need that for safety), hooded towels (i love their towels), tooth brushes/toothpaste  and baby lotion.

Meal time: Baby food for little one, place mats (the kind that stick to tables, but remove easily when done), spoons, baby snacks, sippy cups, bottles, binkies, bottle brush to wash, regular & disposable bibs, meal time toys and books (keeps them entertained while waiting for food), hand wipes, Clorox wipes (i wipe down all table tops prior seating them, I am a clean freak), paper towel and extra wash cloths. High chair cover for little one, booster seat and tray.  Teething rings for little one. Insulated bag for bottles/sippy cups/etc.

Play time: toys, and by toys I mean mainly cars, books, movies, dvd player, SUNSCREEN, pool floats, swim gear, swim outfits, swim diapers, large zip lock bags for wet clothes

Sleep time: (Naps & night), night diapers, blankies, sleep toys: penguin, dog and car, pillow for 2-year-old.  My own bedding… I don’t like hotel sheets for their cribs or pack & play..

Things for parents: Clothes, shoes, toiletries.. LOL… keep it simple.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update… packing continued and additions to the list above that I probably can’t think of right now!

Road Trip

Our first family road trip is approaching.  It’s just me and the boys making our way to my husband’s home town in Indiana.  I am excited because we will be making several stops along the way and seeing some friends, but I am getting nervous.  I think about how the boys will do.  It will be interesting to see my two-year old’s reaction to the new places he will see.  Not sure how my 8 1/2 month old will do.  He is a very laid back baby, so fingers crossed!  

At least I can count on my planning skills as Miss Plan It All, to plan ahead and try to foresee as much as possible.  The most important thing is that the kids remain entertained and as comfortable as possible along the way.  That said, I will be picking out favorite toys, videos, books, games (for toddler) and my newest favorite thing to do in the car with him, flash alphabet letters at him to recite.  We are up to F. 

 I will start researching some of my go to resources for tips on trips and will share.  Stay tuned for the rest of the packing list and updates on how the road is treating us. 

 

 

Time with friends

Lately it seems that I need a long holiday weekend to reconnect with old friends.  I guess it’s because my time is consumed by everyday things that just happen.  My family has first place in my life and everything and everyone else comes after.  That is not say that I don’t think other things or friends are important.  I just have to find a way to manage my time to include spending time with friends, new ones and old ones alike.  I am sure there are many women out there who feel like they could use an extra three or more hours in their day.  I wish I had eight extra hours in my day to help me keep up with my friends!  However, since I know there is no one out there that can grant me that wish, I will just have to manage my time better.  Here are a few things that come to mind that I will try.  I hope my plans help those who read this post or at least they help you find ideas of your own.

I have friends with kids and without.  You would think that doing things with the friends that have kids would be easy because we have that in common.  WRONG!  It is not as easy as I thought it would be.  I used to think I could just put a play date together and that my girlfriends and I would have that time to catch up.  WRONG!  Yes, we have time together but not time to catch up!  Instead, we are playing with the kids and making sure they are playing safely, nicely and sharing.  Don’t get me wrong, I love doing that too, but to truly spend girl time with my mommy friends, I have to put a new plan in place.

Here is my plan for my mommy friends: Start a Girls Night!  Even if it’s after we all put the kids down and let dad watch them.  Even if it’s only for an hour.  Pick a place to meet outside the home.  Staying home or going to someone else’s home defeats the purpose of girls night out.  It does not have to be a place where you have to spend a lot of money.  A bookstore with a cafe can be a good place to catch up or a coffee-house.  If there is a nearby mall with a courtyard, that could work to, or a nearby park where you could bring a picnic or a bottle of wine to serve (drink responsibly).  If you absolutely have to meet in someone’s home, make it fun by adding a theme to the evening or playing a game.

Here’s the plan for my friends who are single and don’t have kids (of course you are counting on dad or a caregiver to watch your kiddies).
Pick a day or night to go out with them and do things that I can’t normally do with the kids in tow.  Like, go to a movie and watch a chick flick, spend the day shopping , lay out by the pool or at the beach, go do dinner and indulge!  It is easy to pick an activity to do with your single girlfriends.  I like to remind them, that I cannot do all the things they still do, like go bar or club hopping (if they are still into that) and that I cannot be their wing woman.  Most of my single girlfriends understand that I am no longer into the “club” or “bar” scene (neither are they for that matter), but that I do like to spend time with them and join them in what they like to do.

What about the out-of-town friends?  If you are like me and you grew up in a different city than where you live now, went to school out-of-state, and then moved to a different city after college.  That leaves you with a lot of great friends in a lot of great places.  How to keep in touch with each one is a challenge.  Thank goodness for Facebook!  This plan is a little bit harder to put together.  Let’s face it, you only have so much vacation time to spend and just because you are on vacation, it does not mean your friend are. My plan is to catch up with these friends by phone or Skype at least once a month.  It may not seem like a lot of time, but it is reasonable for me and that way, I get to talk to them not just read their status updates on FB.  If it just so happens I will be near their side of town at any given time, I will make a plan to meet up with them and their families even if it is just for a couple of hours.  There is nothing like seeing old friends.

Last, I love being a host!  All my friends know that my home is open to them whenever they are on my side of town.  They can count on staying at my place or meeting up somewhere nearby.  Luckily for me I am in Florida which lends itself to be a great vacation getaway for anyone.

Officially planning it all

I am finally ready to introduce Miss Plan it All to the world!  Well, maybe not the world, but at least to those in the Tampa Bay Area.  I have worked for three years on this venture, and a lot has happened in these past three years.   I have had two beautiful and healthy babies, had my house rebuilt due to “chinese drywall” which had me and my family moving out and back in within three and half months, (that was NOT fun), maintained a full-time job that I love and I’ve met a lot of great people who have helped me in this venture and have given my business the opportunity to grow.  Needless to say, I have been busy, but, I love every minute of my life.     I’ve learned that nothing worth doing is ever easy, and while it has not been easy to put this venture together, it has already been worth it, because I have already helped clients with their needs.

You will see that Miss Plan It All offers many different services.  I created these services because I enjoy doing them and I am a bit neurotic about being organized.  Organization is key in trying to balance life and manage time.  Right now I am very enamoured with my Busy Parent’s Services. As a busy parent, I know what it is like to need a little help sometimes.      

I am also very excited about my blog because I will be able to express my thoughts and hopefully provide readers with helpful tips, ideas and solutions for different situations.  So stay tuned and if there is anything Miss Plan It All can help you with, please ask!