A couple announcements and some great links...

I keep forgetting to blog about this very important stuff.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION

I don't have any more piles that look like this:

My amazing Power of Moms partner, April, the queen of organization herself, has put together a new School Paper and Homework Mastery Kit that has made a huge difference in my home and 100's of other homes so far. All the papers my kids used to fling at me when they'd get in the car after school now go in a specific place and there's a nice simple system for dealing with them. Ahhh, the joy of it! And when my kids announce that they need to do a science project proposal or a book report (which they've already done), I know just how to coach them through figuring out what needs to happen when so it can be completed in a timely manner.

Here's a podcast I made with April sharing some of our best ideas on helping our kids get their homework projects done in a timely way:
Overcoming Homework Procrastination

And here's a great video April made with her daughter about the 5-step process for getting projects done.
Five Steps to School Project Success

Here's a post I did on school-day routines that lots of people are pinning on Pinterest and talking up on Facebook. Thought you might enjoy it (has some chart examples and a podcast by me, my mom and my sisters):
School Day Routines

And one last thing - if you're serious about getting seriously organized, there's a special price on April's comprehensive and seriously life-changing Mind Organization for Moms program through this weekend. My sister Shawni and I are working together on getting our lives more organized and productive and less stressful using this program. I love how it's set up so you can follow simple assignments and get all the way organized in two weeks following the suggested schedule. Join us if you like!

RETREATS
On another note, I get to be the key speaker at these two upcoming Retreats:

• Idaho Falls Retreat on September 15th (space still available - I get to bring the whole family and visit Jared's mom as part of this Retreat trip since it's in easy driving distance - love it when it can work out that way)
• Spokane, WA Retreat on October 13th (registration just opened - I've never been to Spokane - totally excited to check it out and to do this Retreat with my cousin Taunie as my co-trainer)

Please spread the word to anyone you know in Idaho or Washington. These will likely be our only two Retreats in the west until we do our annual Retreat at my parents' house in Park City in April or May.

And in case you're wondering, Power of Moms is going very well - and not at the cost of my personal sanity. I've slowed things down a bit but I'm still often trying to cram in more than I should while the kids are at school and sometimes find a bit more work than I'd like trickling into after-school and evening time. There are still hard days when I feel totally overwhelmed. But in general, I'm keeping my boundaries pretty firm and feeling much more balanced than I did last year. Yeah for me!