It’s the little moments that count with our kids and I am trying to be very intentional with our time together.  I make sure that I am playful with him even when I am trying to work or clean house.  He can help me in his own way and he feels valued. Our family is very playful and so play times often come up just in normal situations.  Even though I am exhausted, I try to make the time special in a small way.

Traditions or routines are very important to children and special needs children look forward to them.  I try to read to him from a “special book” of collected stories each night.  He has to earn the book with his good behavior but we make sure we spend time together before bedtime reading, singing or playing pat a cake. These little moments are what he will remember when he grows older.  Maybe he won’t remember a particular day, but he will cherish the time he spent with me.  These are also special times for me, too as I slowly watch my son grow up and begin to mature.

Mother’s Day is a gentle reminder of our sacrifice and even if your child will never be able to speak to you, you can tell that they love you.  Mothers just know.  Sometimes people put us up on a pedestal because they can’t fathom doing what we do, but we aren’t saints.  We have our flaws and our moments of weakness.  But we keep trudging on because our child needs us more than ever.  Frustration is probably our greatest flaw because we are frustrated on many levels.  But it all goes away when our child smiles or has an amazing break through.  That is why we do it.  We love our children.

I am very blessed to have a special needs child and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Yes, we all dream of a “normal” child but my son is special in his own way and gives me so much joy in return.  Our children are blessings and challenges all wrapped up in our child.  We have a connection that cannot be duplicated or taken away.  Each Mother’s Day I remember how blessed I am to have my son and how blessed that I am his mother.  Happy Mother’s Day to all you blessed Mothers of Special Needs Children!

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is upwards of $225,000. The spending starts right away with the need for diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, blankets, and clothing, just to name a few of the essentials.

Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to cut back on the expenses. Here are ten easy ways to save money on baby items:

1. Buy on sale. This is a no-brainer.Watch the ads and you’ll know where to shop for the week. Just remember that a sale doesn’t mean you have to outlay a lot of cash. Diapers are always on sale somewhere so you don’t have to stockpile when you see them marked down.
2. Always use a coupon. Coupon sources for baby items are bountiful: the Sunday paper, magazines (like All You), and store websites (like Target). Online there are numerous free printable (like Coupons.com) and clipless coupons sites (like Cellfire). Visit the websites of your favorite brands and sign-up for special offers and coupons: Johnson & Johnson, Pampers,  Huggies, Luvs, Seventh Generation, Enfamil, Similac, BeechNut, Gerber, and Earth’s Best. The point is coupons are everywhere so get as many baby item coupons as you can. To maximize your savings, stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon whenever possible.
3. Sometimes less is more savings. For example, when using coupons, buying two jumbo packs of diapers can be more economical than purchasing one mega pack. Let’s do the math: Purchase (2) size one Pampers jumbo packs at $8.99 each. You get 80 diapers for $17.98, less (2) coupons for $1.50 off, for a pre-tax price of $14.98. Now let’s say you purchase (1) size one Pampers mega pack. You get 66 diapers for $17.49, less (1) coupon for $1.50 off, for a pre-tax price of %15.99. It pays to do a little math before buying anything in bulk.
4. Read blogs. There are bloggers who dedicate to their time and energy into finding the best deals. Follow them online. Two of my favorites are Baby Cheapskate and The Coupon Girl.
5. Enroll in rewards programs. With Pampers’ Gifts to Grow program members get points for purchases. Accumulated points can be redeemed for prizes. Huggies’ Enjoy the Ride works the same way. Also checkout the Toys R Us and BeechNut rewards programs.
6. Ebates. Membership and participation in Ebates.com is free. Create an account, log-in to Ebates.com before you shop online, search for your favorite products and stores and click the link to their website. You will automatically get cash back from your online purchases via check on a quarterly schedule or deposit into your PayPal account.
7. Used is the new New. In a down economy more people shop their local thrift stores and clothing exchange retailers. One of my favorite used clothing stores is Other Mothers. A great time to stop by is on Saturday morning when they have tons of items on sale for a quarter. Also checkout Craigslist for freebies and used baby items. Note: it is recommended to buy car seats new due to possibility of damage or the chance it has been in an accident.
8. Make your own diaper wipes. All you need to start saving money on this baby item staple is an old diaper wipe box or any airtight container, water, baby oil, baby bath or shampoo, and a roll of paper towels. Cut the roll in half and remove the cardboard from the middle. Boil two cups of water and let it cool. Pour the water in a large mixing cup and add two tablespoons of baby oil and two tablespoons of baby bath or shampoo. Mix together and pour over the towels, covering evenly.
9. Make your own baby food. There are a lot of resources available if you should choose this healthy, economic option. Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food is one thorough online source. Mommy Made is a great book with lots of healthy recipes for babies and toddlers.
10. Spend now, save for college. By shopping online, dining out at participating restaurants, and grocery shopping you can be saving for your child’s college education through Upromise. Registration is easy and free. Sign-up today to turn your some of your everyday spending into money for college.

Has your family come up with creative ways to save money? Post a comment below to share it.

If you’ve not met Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his friends yet, you have missed out on the television show “The Big Bang Theory”. It’s a hysterical comedy that centers on a group of friends, each with their own neurosis. One of the main characters, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, shares some characteristics with my 9 year-old son, Daniel.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper, expertly portrayed by actor Jim Parsons, is considered the “breakout” character of the show.  Sheldon has a superiority complex, is exceptionally logical, yet possesses a childlike quality that makes him endearing, in a strange sort of way.  To say he is socially awkward is like saying “Galileo and the Pope had a little misunderstanding.” (To quote Dr. Cooper himself, from the episode “The Nerdvana Annihalation”.)

Although my son Daniel is not a genius (this mother has NOT had him tested), he does encapsulate the other attributes of one Sheldon Cooper:  he’s very logical, is a little socially awkward and definitely has that childlike quality; for obvious reasons.  Dr. Cooper surrounds himself with others that share his keen intellect, including his roommate, Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist who puts up with Sheldon’s long list of idiosyncrasies.  Leonard, while mild mannered,  has a sweet and sensitive side, that is showcased around Penny, a waitress neighbor of theirs.  Penny is not a genius, and her lack of education is a sore spot with Sheldon.  Penny, however, has a mastery of sarcasm, and its use often perplexes Sheldon.

Another of their friends is Raj, an astrophysicist who has an affliction that renders him mute around women–unless he has consumed alcohol.  While around Penny or any other female, Raj generally whispers all of his comments to Howard, the last of the friends.  Howard is ”just” an Aerospace Engineer, who happens to still live with his overbearing mother, and is often the object of disdain for Sheldon.

Daniel, while substantially younger than the aforementioned group, would have no problem fitting in.  He has an affinity for super hero t-shirts, loves video games and can name every planet in the Star Wars universe.  Daniel is a member of the chess and checkers club at school and has seen every verision of the “Star Trek” movies.  While Sheldon has claimed he is an honorary member of the Starfleet Academy, Daniel can boast that he has earned the ranking of Jedi Master, and has even battled Darth Maul…(at Disneyland).  Daniel will now stand outside my bedroom door, knock, and say “Mom”; knock again and proclaim, “Mom”, and knock yet again while saying my name, just like Sheldon does with his neighbor Penny.  Daniel, at age nine, correctly used “per se” in a sentence recently and when you tell him something like, “that dog is big”, he will respond with “Yes; yes he is.”    Daniel received the right mix of geek from me and dork from his dad to create a hybrid being all his own.

While many parents may worry that their child will grow up to face a world of swirlies, wedgies, and random bullying by more popular kids, I am not worried about Daniel.  I am certain that he will be able to weather the storm that is middle school.  If other kids pick on him, I will constantly remind him that they are just jealous because he knows the temperature on Endor and they do not.  I will assure him that Mom survived geekdom; he will survive, too.  I will arm him with a sense of humor and a sense of self; you wear that Spiderman t-shirt, Dan, because it is totally “you”.  And, I will remind him that he has four “nerdy” role models; guys that were made fun of but who are close friends and have a lot of fun playing Klingon Boggle, and don’t care who knows.

The other day, Daniel and I were discussing our favorite episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” while driving to our house.  As we rounded the corner, we drove by the house of a neighbor who had just lost his wife earlier that week.  Daniel remarked sweetly, “I wonder how he is doing all alone…”.  It was at that moment I realized I am not raising a Sheldon Cooper; I am raising a sweet, sensitive Leonard Hofstadter.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me: I love this time of year. First of all, both my sons play baseball, so this is prime time for a little “cheese.” Also,  Arizona is blessed with some amazing weather this time of year, the kind of weather other states envy. But most of all, Spring has Easter, one of my favorite holidays.

It may be cliche, but Spring, and Easter especially, are symbols of life renewed.  Sure, there are bunnies and eggs, but there’s also a sense of rebirth and rejuvenation.  I love the promise that Spring holds; that life is starting again.  You can see it all around you, from the wild flowers in bloom to the purging ritual known as spring cleaning.  Personally, I look forward to the annual Easter preparation and celebration that I get to share with my family.

I vividly remember  coloring Easter eggs as a kid and now I share the joy of decorating them with my own children.  This year, we took advantage of the Easter egg hunt held at the local Golfland where Daniel just happened to nab a plastic egg with a free ticket to SunSplash!  We also had a quick meeting with the Easter Bunny before heading home to color our eggs.

When I was little and colored eggs, one of the best parts was dumping the bright, beautiful dye into the sink and watching the colors swirl down the drain.  That tradition continues as Daniel and I slowly dumped the used pigment down the sink to its inevitable end, and I think about the when the color is gone, the hard boiled eggs are all eaten, that we’ll all have the memories of this time together.  Coloring eggs with the kids is my favorite activity, next to the actual egg hunt itself.  This year, I had the pleasure of hiding 55 eggs in the house and in the backyard before I turned the kids loose.  The rib me about the “rules” that I impart before I release them on their quest to search out the eggs, many of them plastic and filled with money.  They know about the “special” egg that is a small candle, shaped and colored like an Easter egg, the candle that will bring them a ten dollar bounty if they find it.  This year, in particular, was bittersweet for me because this year included Kayla, my stepdaughter,  but it was the very first Easter without my oldest son, Ryan. (Yes, at age 20, he still participates in my Easter egg hunts.  They are that good!)  Everyone scores an Easter basket, filled with candy (no peeps), and various items based on age–Daniel got a Star Wars action figure in his basket while the girls each got hair spray, make up and sundry hygiene products.  And Ryan, although absent, was sent a package than included a roll of quarters for laundry, along with a letter from his mommy.

When Easter is all said and done, I sit back and enjoy the outstanding weather my state has to offer, do a little Spring cleaning and relish my renewed spirit.  And as the color swirls into the drain and eventually disappears, I think about the promise of a new Spring.

So what is it about little boys and the dentist?  Daniel, my youngest, just had his semi-annual visit to the dentist and, no big surprise; he’s not brushing well.  Which means that Daniel has earned himself another trip to the dentist, this time for a filling.

In Daniel’s defense, he’s not afraid to go to the dentist; he just doesn’t brush that well.  He even flosses, which is a lot more than I can say for his siblings, but the outstanding brushing skill seems to elude him.  We’ve attempted the old tried and true singing the Happy Birthday song twice, just to make sure he is brushing long enough, but he had difficulty singing and brushing at the same time!  I’ve tried bribing him, but candy seems to defeat the purpose.  He oftentimes “forgets” to brush his teeth, which I find very difficult to swallow, much like the bubble gum flavored toothpaste Daniel tried in an effort to remind him to brush.  Blech!

I’ve also tried the fear tactic with Daniel.  I threaten, ”If you don’t brush your teeth, you can’t eat corn on the cob because you won’t be able to gnaw it off with just your gums!”  I ponder whether I should mention how lack of dental hygiene can lead to heart disease, as well as…no, I’ll save the erectile dysfunction speech for when he gets older.  I do explain, however, that if he gets cavities, that he’ll have to have them filled and he’ll have silver teeth, just like the ones I have from my younger days.  Then I realize, of course, that dentists no longer use the glaringly obvious silver fillings anymore; no one even knows you’ve had a cavity filled when white porcelain is used instead.  So much for that argument, too.

Then I remembered an odd nugget from my childhood:  The Yuck Mouth.   This animated creature was a staple of the Saturday morning cartoon line up back when I was a kid, nestled in between episodes of “Hong Kong Phooey” and “Looney Tunes”.  He must have made an impression on others, too, because there is even a punk/rock/comedy band named, of course, Yuckmouth.  His popularity notwithstanding, the animated versions sole purpose was to illustrate the pratfalls of poor dental hygiene to small children, while warbling a catchy little tune.

In an effort to explain to Daniel his need to brush better, I sang his this little ditty, courtesy of my Saturday morning memories of yesteryear:

(It amazing what you can retain through repetition; imagine all I could have learned had it just been imparted via Saturday morning cartoons.)

Daniel, of course, is intrigued by the song, even if he’s never seen the real Yuck Mouth.  Every time I notice a lapse in his dental hygiene technique, I sing my rendition of the “Yuck Mouth” song;  if the song doesn’t get him to brush, my off key singing certainly will, even if his efforts are only to get me to stop!  A thorough brushing, courtesy of the Yuck Mouth!

Editorial Addition: Here’s the Yuck Mouth on YouTube!  Awesome sauce.

During this time of high unemployment two Arizona child care companies, Sunrise Preschools and Tots Unlimited, are offering their support to job seeking parents. They have created a program called Interview Care which provides up to four hours of free licensed child care while parents go to job interviews or fill out applications. It is open to children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old at their facilities across the Valley.

The program started a few years ago as a way of giving back to the community. Originally it was open to parents with children enrolled in their schools who lost their jobs. It was eventually extended to friends and family and then the general public. Sunrise Preschools and Tots Unlimited estimate Interview Care has benefited more than five hundred Arizona families. They plan to continue the free program indefinitely.

To participate in the Interview Care program, contact the school in your area 24-hours in advance. If there is no availability in the class for your child’s age group the director will call one of their sister schools to find an opening. You will need to arrive at the school in time to provide immunization records and fill out some emergency information but there are no hidden costs. Interview Care is absolutely FREE.

For more information or to find the nearest location, visit Sunrise Preschools and Tots Unlimited online. Please note, regular enrollment includes a $50 fee per child. Weekly rates vary by school.

Ninety-seven per cent of the time, I pack my son’s lunch for school. I try to balance it out; a juice box; a salami or bologna or turkey sandwich on wheat; maybe a cheese stick or pickle. I’ll include carrot sticks, or grapes, or sliced apples or non-sweetened apple sauce, if I’m in a hurry. Usually, I’ll throw in something I know he likes, but maybe isn’t the healthiest part of the meal: chips, a pudding cup, or possibly a brownie. I always thought that making his lunch would be better than hoping he wouldn’t pick pizza every day, if left to his own devices in the lunch room. Now, as if parents didn’t have enough on their proverbial (lunch) plates, we must now defend our choices to the Lunch Police.

Granted, this is not a wide-spread situation. It’s actually just North Carolina, where all pre-Kindergarten programs require lunches to be checked to see if they meet USDA standards for a “healthy lunch.” I guess I should be grateful that Daniel is no longer pre-Kindergarten and that we live in Arizona, where his lunch won’t be uncerimoniously examined–but he may be asked for his citizenship papers…But I digress…

Evidentially, a young girl in North Carolina was told, after inspection, that her lunch was lacking in some nutrtional value and that she would need to eat the lunch provided by the school, instead. Her mother, the obviously irresponsible and inattentive parent she must be, had the audacity to pack her child a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, apple juice and potato chips.  These items clearly constituted a subpar lunch, and the child was instead given…chicken nuggets?  To add insult to injury, the mother received a bill from the school, to pay for the world’s most salutary chicken nuggets.  Were they made out of vegetables?

Now, from my vantage point, there are several things wrong with this whole scenerio.  While I understand the school’s obligation to provide children with healthy foods, I don’t believe it is their place to inspect the foods sent from home and replace them with some sort of substitution.  While this may be the case in North Carolina, I believe this is unquestionably another case of getting the school/government involved in areas where parents need to just raise their kids.  Sure, we’re parents.  We make mistakes.  Maybe we send our kids to school without jackets when it’s cold outside; do I need someone at school, waiting in the wings to throw a wrap on my kid and send me the bill?  If I choose to send my four year old to school with Pixie Stix and Coke for lunch and my child truly has issues with learning, or disrupting the class, or bouncing off the walls, then call me and make me accountable, then and there.  Don’t embarrass the child by replacing the lunch the parent sent and have the four year old question my choices.  Isn’t parenting children difficult enough that we don’t need someone to step in and plant seeds of doubt in our youngsters?  They question us enough in their teen years; I don’t need any assistance from the upstart Lunch Police fanning the flames.

Also, who are these Lunch Police?  Who pays them to scrutinize the contents of pre-schoolers lunches?  I’ll bet my non-nutritious-banana that these folks are paid by the tax payers–moms and dads, just like us.  I am certain that these funds could be put to better use than to have the gestapo patrolling the lunchrooms of four year olds; how about more finger paint and Play Doh?

Lastly, let’s just slow our roll, folks, as my kids would say.  I, for one, grew up on white bread, pickle and pimento loaf, Hostess Ding Dongs and Mountain Dew.  I don’t think I ever saw a piece of fruit until I was in my teens and when I did, someone had to explain what it was to me.  My childhood consisted of ice cream with Magic Shell and cookies for good measure, macaroni and cheese (baked, which is much more nutritionally sound), and Cup ‘O Noodles.  While I may not be the picture of good health, at 45, I don’t take any medication and have never had any real health problems–knock on the lunch table.  I have grown to love foods that when I was a child, I never would have even looked at, let alone tried.  I know that I feed my kids as best on I can on the budget I have and give them what I know won’t go to waste.  If someone wants to step in and feed them differently, they can be my guest, as long as they are willing to help them with their homework, buy the clothes they wear and quintessencially take over all my parenting duties.  Call me when the decisions are all made, please.

With this all off my chest, I would like to apologize to my mom, for throwing her under the bus for feeding me Ding Dongs and Steak ‘Ems.  Thank God we lived in Virginia, Mom, because North Carolina wouldn’t have known what to do with us…

There once was a show on TV called “Kids Say The Darndest Things” first hosted by Art Linkletter in the 1950′s and ’60′s and later by Bill Cosby in the late ’90′s.  Many of the children on those shows made some pretty funny observations, however, I think my son, Daniel, would have been the best contestant.

One of my favorite aspects of being a parent is listening to the adorable and oftentimes incorrect utterances that come out of our childrens’ mouths.  While each of my kids has had their share of memorable phrasing, it’s Daniel, my 9-year old, that cracks me up the most.

Ryan used to say “com-der-dull” for “comfortable,” Kayla christened helicopters “hep-ta-copters” and  Shannon once sang, “I can see clearly now the rain is gone.  I can see all ‘popsicles’ in my way…”, but it’s my youngest child that seems to come out with the most unique and hysterical interpretations.

Daniel and I often have conversations about how much we love each other.  I’ll ask, “Dan, know what?” and he’ll respond with “You love me.”  I then list all the things I love him more than:  ice cream, air, the galaxy, etc.  He once told me he loved me more than the galaxy, too, which made me think of Daniel’s favorite:  ”Star Wars”. So I asked him, since he loved me more than the galaxy, did he love me more than “Star Wars” ?  He pondered it for a moment and said, “Mom, it’s a fifty/fifty toss.”  Cold as Hoth,  Dan, cold as Hoth.

Daniel is also a big fan of ’70′s and ’80′s music.  One day we were listening to Pilot’s old song, ”Magic” and Daniel sang his own version: “Oh oh oh it’s magic, in love, never believe it’s not sooooo.”  I looked at him quizzically and then said, “I think you have the words wrong, Daniel.  The words are, “Ho, ho, ho, it’s magic, you knoooow…”  He stopped me right there.  In all seriousness, he replied: “It’s not a Christmas song, Mom.”

Just recently, Daniel exclaimed that he was excited that we would be coming into money.

“What money?  What am I missing?” I asked him.

“The money from Texas,” was his answer.  Thinking my mom, who lives in Texas, was sending us a windfall for some reason, I scrunched by brow until it hit me.

“Do you mean taxes, Daniel?” I smiled.

Sheepishly, he agreed, the money would be from taxes, not Texas.

Now that Daniel is in the 4th grade, he oscillates between still being a regular 9 year old and trying to fit in with the bigger kids.  For instance, he still believes in Santa Claus but he acts all tough around his older siblings.  After watching an episode of “SpongeBob Square Pants”, Daniel suddenly felt it necessary to inform me that our female dog, Lola, would one day have puppies after having “intercourse.”  I looked at him surprised, and asked him what exactly he knew about intercourse.

“It’s s-e-x, Mom,” came his nonchalant response.  I sighed deeply and wished we were talking about Santa, instead.

However, my favorite Daniel story, by far, is when he was playing baseball on his father’s team.  They were sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Daniel happened to standing by a bucket of baseballs before practice one day.  Another coach came by and was digging through the bucket of balls, looking for her team’s baseballs that she thought had gotten mixed in with Daniel’s team’s.  When Daniel inquired what she was doing, she explained she was trying to differentiate between her team’s baseballs and his team’s baseballs.  With total innocence, Daniel provided a simple solution for her: “Well, my dad’s balls have Dick’s on them.”  It’s comments like that one that it make being a parent so worthwhile.

What remarks have your kids made that you’ll never forget?

You’re older and wiser. You have years of life lessons learned in school or the School of Hard Knocks. When you had a baby you expected to do all the teaching, passing down your knowledge to the next generation. One thing about motherhood is that it’s full of the unexpected. It’s not always an explosive poopy diaper at the grocery store. There’s the good kind of unexpected – the ones where your kids surprise you and teach you something. Here are ten of my favorite lessons my baby has taught me about life.

1. Baby feet. The best things come in small packages… Remember that little box from the jewelry store your husband pulled out of his pocket before he got down on one knee? Those tiny little toes remind me that bigger is not always better.

2. Spikey hair. Be original. Be funky. Nevermind what other people think.

3. Cuddles. Independence is great but everybody needs somebody and a hug from a loved one is always a good thing.

4. Nap time. Life can be exhausting! It’s okay to take time out for myself for some good old-fashioned R&R.

5. Birthday cake. Dive into the good stuff! Life is short so enjoy the sweet stuff along the way.

6. Crying. Nobody is a mind reader. Sometimes I need to make sure my needs are known.

7. Toots. (That’s right – the other, tamer F word.) Nobody’s perfect. Sooner or later everyone finds themselves in an embarrassing situation but if I don’t take myself too seriously and dwell on it, I’ll get over it.

8. Giggles. Laughter really is the best medicine. Look for the humor in everything.

9. Play time. Never stop playing… remember what they say about growing old.

10. Daddy is pretty cool. That other cute guy with the blue eyes and dimples? Yeah, that’s my husband. Long before The Little Man came along I knew he was pretty awesome. He’s not just around to help wash bottles and take out stinky diapers. Seeing how our son adores him reminds me I never want to take him for granted for one second.

The list could go on. I remember watching The Little Man teetering on his spindly legs, falling down but getting back up every single time. Persistence. When he started to feed himself the little morsels of food fell off the spoon before it reached his lips, but he’d keep at it until he got a bite. Patience. Perhaps all of this is the best lesson of all: Never stop learning.

Last night’s dishes are in the sink. Yesterday’s mail is unopened. Toys are strewn throughout the living room and hallway. The sliding glass doors have fingerprint smudges and doggy nose prints. Piles of dirty clothes are overtaking the laundry room.

So much work to be done and the little one refuses to nap.

These are the moments I feel overwhelmed and defeated. I’ve asked myself: How do I get in these messes (literally)? How can I break the cycle of chaos-order- chaos? How does The Super Mom do it?

You know who she is. That one mommy friend we can’t measure up to. The Super Mom treks her three children to their weekly ballet/karate/swimming lessons. She serves a nutritious meal every night on time. Her house is never less than company ready. She is spotted at the grocery store with make-up applied, hair styled (no roots showing!), open-toe shoes flaunting a recent pedicure, and trendy clothes. No pajamas disguised as sweats for this mother!

Finally, I figured out how these women maintain an immaculate image: It’s a farce. We may not see them but there are imperfections. Maybe expired cheese lurks in The Super Mom’s refrigerator. Maybe she can’t find her scissors and Scotch tape. Maybe she wouldn’t let you see the disarray in her garage for all the mascara in Sephora.

The reality is: The Super Mom is simply more organized. She has taken the time to make time. She knows Wednesday is her family’s busiest night so she planned a crock pot meal. She simplified housecleaning by creating a system of organization – designating a place for everything – and she follows a routine to keep her house clean. No wonder she has time to hit the salon!

How do we get to that level of organization? It’s the small changes that lead to big results.

1. Meal plan. Most families prefer certain dishes and won’t require more variety than five or six menus each for the warm and cool seasons. (A well known Christian author and speaker recycled a six-week meal plan for her family and joked, “No one ever said to me, ‘Six weeks ago we had the same meal rotation.’”) You can still cook according to the grocery sales but don’t waste time trying to match coupons and sale items. For a nominal monthly fee companies like CouponSense can provide that service for you.
2. Organize room by room. In the kitchen, use a silverware tray to separate items in the junk drawer. Put a shoe box in the closet to store scarves and belts. The idea is to tackle one area at a time so you can become organized in every room of your house. Get it all done by using the “lost minutes” of the day: instead of checking Facebook, during the commercials, or while you’re on the phone. Tips to Organize Life provides detailed instruction on how to organize every room in your home including the garage.
3. Create a cleaning routine. Many organization experts recommend a cleaning plan but I can’t abide by schedules and chore charts. What if company is expected on Friday but the bathrooms get cleaned on Saturdays? If your teen is studying for finals are you really going to be a stickler about the floors getting mopped? Too many exceptions to the rules and I lose faith in my cleaning plan and abandon it.

An alternative is a cleaning routine that begins with keeping the right cleaning supplies readily available. Use a plastic caddy to carry multi-purpose cleaners to each room, but store Comet in the bathroom where it’s used. The caddy should include a razor blade for sticky messes, soft rags, duster, squeegee and rubber gloves.

Instead of using chore charts, set a daily block of time for housekeeping. This allows for flexibility on what tasks you assign each day so that the most pressing jobs get done right away. Just be sure all areas of the house are getting attention.

Follow the five minute rule to maintain order day-to-day. Set a timer and have each family member tidy a room, fold a basket of laundry, or wash dishes.

The main thing to remember is that you can start small and still achieve big results. You don’t need to pressure yourself with high demands. And you definitely don’t need to compare yourself to your circle of mommy friends who don’t have dust bunnies or food splatters in their microwaves. Remember, they’re probably dying for a hot bath and a glass of wine.