This cute breast-feeding log book is small enough to fit on the tiniest of end tables (aprox 4×6 inches) and has an easy to read chart for you to note times, feeding duration, and any notes you may have.  You don’t need to worry about remembering when you fed her last or which side he nursed on last, because lets face it, you have enough to remember already.

Find this notebook in our Etsy Shop!

With a million things in the air at any one time, a month can fly by in a flash.  Sometimes what you need is a good step back to see the weeks ahead all at once.  That is why the third section of my “Mom Notebook” is my Mom’s Plan of the Month.  And, it’s pretty simple.  It’s a calendar.

With a space for goals and for notes this is just a way to pull together your Plan of the Day and Plan of the Week into something that can work long term.  If you haven’t checked out my post on my “Mom’s Plan of the Day” you’ll find most of the info on how I put together my Mom notebook and how I use it to plan out my tasks for Home and for Work.  Also check out my “Mom’s Plan of the Week” for a look at how I set out the week ahead.

As with the POD and POW the key is to customize this format to work for you.  I also use iCal on my Mac because it syncs with my iPhone, my iMac and my Mac Book.  I usually have it open as well when I make my POW each week.  I use this sheet for broader things and for setting goals and making plans.  Truthfully, my coffee date with my friend Sue and my play date with my friend Mary probably won’t make it on to this calendar, but my plans to start my veggie garden in a few weeks or my goal of cutting sugar for two weeks will be on there in hot pink marker, or crayon, which ever I find first.

Mom’s POM blank PDF

Mom’s POM in Adobe Illustrator format

For tips on customization see my post on Mom’s Plan of the Day

I like to think of New Year’s Resolutions as more like a plan than a list of solid goals.  The goal is, as always, to be the best mom, wife and artist I can be.  I figure if i get around to most of these, I’ll be okay this year.

TEN:  Quality reading for you and for your little ones. I know you are busy, but nothing fills the creative well AND gives you a little escape from your busy day like curling up with a book, even if it is just for fifteen minutes before you head to bed, while you wait for your kids or during lunch at work.  This lucky Creative Mom got a Kindle for Christmas! And for the little ones, make it easy and check out the book “Honey for a Child’s Heart.” You’ll find great reading lists for all ages.  This helps with that overwhelmed feeling you get at the library.  This year introduce your kids to the classics: Pooh, Peter Rabbit, Little Sal, Max and the Wildthings, Narnia… and on and on!

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NINE:  Exercise. I’m not talking about training for a marathon, although major kudos if you are! Just head out for a walk, take the kids or use it to de-stress from your day.

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EIGHT:  Eat Real Food. Less fast food, more fresh food.  Cut out products that come in a box with powder or are neon blue.  Avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup. Always have options like fruit and whole wheat crackers available for hungry kiddos.

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SEVEN:  Do Worthwhile Stuff. Take the time to find out about the cool things in your area AND DO THEM.  Find activities that teach your kids about nature, about doing good and helping others, about staying healthy, about history and geography and art. You might just find yourself inspired along the way.

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SIX:  Stay updated. Keep an eye on what is new and exciting in your creative field.  Get inspired by others who do what you do.  Join a critique group, go to a conference, take a class… and save up to upgrade your Adobe software (:

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FIVE:  Simplify. De-clutter your life a little and breath a bit easier.  No Mom does this better than the Simple Mom.  If you haven’t checked her out, you should!

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FOUR:  Find your Balance with Chaos. No one can win the war against chaos.  My husband, the physics expert, says it is impossible.  He even had an equation to prove it.  So, your house cannot be perfect, your kids cannot always be predictable and your hair will not always do as you wish.  Find your balance between laundry and playtime, between TV and sleep, between work and home.  And if you lose a tough battle one day, don’t worry, chaos will always be around to battle with tomorrow.

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THREE:  Stay Connected. This does not mean spend an hour a day on facebook.  Call  your mom.  Send photos of your kids to your grandparents.  Check on your little brother.  Send birthday cards.  Have coffee and playdates and cultivate friendships with people worth being in your life.  Find good professional relationships with those who make you a better creative person.

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TWO:  Fill the Well. Inspiration can be illusive.  You have to get inspired.  Every creative soul needs different things.  Mine likes antique stores, nature walks, used bookstores, quirky movies and art galleries. Seek out your muse, and don’t be afraid to have your kids help you find it.  Seeing things through their eyes can be the greatest inspiration you will find.

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ONE:  Quality Time. As a military family, we know all about quality time. This is the most important item on this list, and it can be forgotten, put off or faked too easy.  Turn off the TV and play a game.  Have a conversation, read a book and talk about it, go on a walk together, really pay attention to your kids one on one with no distractions.  You might be with your kids all day, but even on the busiest days try and take some time to let them be your sole focus.  Because you’ll blink and another year will go by.

I admit it.  I am partial to this story.  My mom took me to see the Nutcracker Ballet when I was a kid.  I even played one of the mice in a local production when I was in kindergarden.  When I was little I loved the story of a girl at a lavish party being whisked away to a fanciful place.  Now I am touched by the story of transformative and unconditional love.  This book brings these qualities and so much more out of this classic story.  Her words are magical and her illustrations are all individual works of art.  My daughter loves the angels on the inside covers, the dancing, the ballerinas and the horses.  And, I love exposing my little one to one of my favorite holiday stories.

Find it on Amazon

Also by Robert McCloskey, check out another classic, Make Way for Ducklings.

Blueberries for Sal on Amazon.com

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]]> http://www.creativemom.net/2009/09/13/creative-childrens-book-of-the-month-blueberries-for-sal/feed/ 0 http://www.creativemom.net/2009/09/06/the-best-iphone-apps-for-busy-moms-dads/ http://www.creativemom.net/2009/09/06/the-best-iphone-apps-for-busy-moms-dads/#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:20:01 +0000 The Creative Mom http://www.creativemom.net/?p=305 I know you’re busy, so I’ll cut right to the chase.  I love my iPhone, and here are some of the reasons why.  This is by NO MEANS a complete list.  These are just a few apps I happen to have collected and use on a regular basis.  Have some better ones? Please add them to the list by commenting to this post!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Apps to Organize Mom (or Dad)…
Because Time is always in short supply.

Grocery IQ: I am a lousy grocery shopper.  I have to have a list or I’ll get distracted by the tortilla making machine and forget half of the dinner ingredients.  This simple app lets you jot down an item right when you think of it.  It gives you a categorized list, lets you check items off as you shop and has tons of extras like a favorites list and multiple store lists.  I’m sure it has lots of goodies I haven’t even discovered yet. Easy to use and  hopefully less likely to be forgotten on the kitchen counter. Shopper is another great grocery list maker too.

To Do’s: A simple, no frills to do list. Let’s you assign priority, move items up and down, as well as make notes under each one.

Notebooks: A step up from the basic notepad that comes with iPhone.  Totally worth a few bucks if you need to organize your notes into folders.  It saves as you type so you don’t have to worry about losing that novel you are writing on your iPhone.  And when you finish, you can just email it right to the publisher!

Flight Track: Because you always need to know right when to pick the grandparents up from the airport.

Phone Flicks: If your family has a Netflix subscription (and if you don’t you should try it out) save some time by picking up the free Phone Flicks app.  You can do most of the things you can do online and who knows if you’ll have time to sit down at the computer today.

iFitness: It is a bit pricey, but it is helpful if you need a new fitness routine or just need someone to tell you what to do at the gym.  It is also a great way to keep track of your workouts.

Facebook: A must have these days.  Post photos of your kids, keep up with all your friends at once, sent quick messages.  And, a great way to kill some time while someone sits on the potty for the eleventh time in one hour.

Clock In: A simple time clock.  Handy for anyone who works freelance or by the hour, or if you want to have a quick record of nap time length or feeding times.

Digital Clock: Just a digital clock.  I use this when we travel.  Make sure you’re plugged in though.

Kindle for iPHone: I don’t have a Kindle, but I always have a book on my iPhone.  It isn’t perfectly ideal for reading, but it works just fine.  I pull it out while my daughter plays for a few minutes in the bathtub.

Walt Disney World Resort Times Guide: This was super handy on our recent trip to WDW.

WDW Dining: Also super easy to find restaurants in the park.

Wikipanion: You don’t have time to run to the computer to look up the name of last season’s Dancing with the Stars winner.  But it will drive you crazy until you remember! Now the answer is at your fingertips.

Amazon Mobile: Oh yeah, shopping on your phone.  Now I just need my flying car.

Other iPhone time savers:  Make sure you are using all that your iPhone can provide.  If you don’t know how your Maps, Messages, Calendar or Contacts works, take some time and figure them out.  You’ll save tons of time in the future.  I also recommend MobileMe, which pushes all of your email, contact and calendar information so that it is always current on your iPhone, computer or web, no syncing needed.

Best Apps to Entertain Little Ones…
Priceless on a plane, at Daddy’s graduation or waiting in line at Disney World.

First Words: I thought this one was lame at first, but my daughter loved it.  It is basically just cheesy pictures and words.  My daughter liked the animal sounds.

iAlphabet: A great little ABC program.  Simple and easy to use.  Just tap a letter and it comes up with a picture and sound.

Bubble Wrap: Just like the real thing, only endless!  Great for entertaining husbands as well.

Koi Pond: My daughter likes the fish, but really I bring this one up whenever I need a moment of zen.  Just lovely Koi fish swimming in a pond. You make ripples in the water with your fingers and they swim away.

Disney Fairies Fly: Okay, this one is for me. More fun than you would think, and totally addictive.

iFart: My husband made me include this one. It doesn’t really deserve a description.

Other iPhone Toys…

I always have a few episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins on my iPhone just in case I REALLY need to keep a little one mesmerized for a while. We also found that with really little ones, a collection of familiar photos in your photo album is a great way to entertain and teach new words.  For a plane trip when our daughter was just learning her words we filled my husband’s iPhone with pictures of animals, shapes, letters, her grandparents faces and pictures of her.  She loved it, and so did the people sitting next to us on the plane.

Now it’s your turn.  What iPhone apps can you not live without?

Angelina Ballerina, written by Katharine Holabird and Illustrated sublimely by Helen Craig

This book is quickly becoming a modern classic.  It’s beautiful images and endearing tale of fulfilling your dreams are timeless.  The illustrations are full and rich, and you and your little ones will find new details hidden in each scene every time you read it. If this book isn’t already part of your library, especially if you have a little girl, you need to make just a little space on your bookshelf for a little white mouse with a pretty pink tutu.

Find Angelina on Amazon here.

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Some why-nots will be right up your alley, and some will be way far away in someone else’s alley.  But, don’t discount them right away.  Think about how you can make it work, or change it to inspire or give a giggle to your family.  Most of my why-nots are especially for moms, moms working at home, military families or anyone who loves to create (anything!). But, the great thing about why-nots is that anyone can try them, you just have to ask, “Why not?”

I know you’ve got great ideas, and I want to hear them! Submit your why-not idea by posting it here.  If I use it as a why-not of the week then I’ll send you a free goodie from LittonArt.com.

Check out our previous Why-Nots here.

While my Plan of the Day sheet lets me organize what needs to be done that day, the Plan of the Week sheet gives me a broader view of what needs to get done and what is planned.  I use it to fill out my POD sheets for the rest of the week.  I also use a POM (Plan of the Month), which is basically a calendar, more on that in another post. 

Like my Plan of the Day, what will make this work for you is if you customize it for your needs.  I needed a separate column for Work and Home tasks for the week, a rough week schedule and a place for notes.  You might need a box to keep track of when you’ve worked out, or a section for weekly kids activities you want to try out.   I have included a sample POW to show you how I use it, a blank worksheet for you to try out, and an Adobe Illustrator file for you to use to customize your sheet as well as two spreadsheet versions that can be customize as well.

Mom’s POW blank PDF

Mom’s POW example PDF

Mom’s POW Adobe Illustrator file

Mom’s POW Exel file

Mom’s POW numbers file

For tips on customization see my Mom’s POD post.

I organize these worksheets in a hot pink three ring binder that I keep open on my desk all day.  The notebook is always open to my POD so that I can make notes and check things off as I go through the day.  The PODs for the previous days are right behind the current sheet incase I need to refer back to them.  Then, behind a simple divider is my POW sheets so I can refer to them quickly when I need to.  Behind that I have sections for my POMs and my Baby Grows sheets as well as some other tools I have like a time sheet.  More on these other tools coming soon! 

To be notified when these new tools are posted, subscribe to my feed or follow me on twitter.

Best of luck! And be sure and let me know how it goes.

The Secret Life of Walter Kitty: Written by Barbara Jean Hicks, Illustrated by Dan Santat

I must start by saying that I am a bit biased.  I own a mischievous orange cat very much like Walter.  But, even if you don’t have a cat, your kids will love Walter. My daughter spends more time on the inside cover looking at all the different Walter identities than she does reading the book.

At first I had a hard time reading this one, though. You have a mix of first person narration by Walter, and various exclamations by his people.  But, once you get the flow down, and come up with some good voices it really is a lot of fun.  Go ahead, ham it up.

Walter is drawn in a lovely painterly manor that fits his whimsical personality. He looks cute without leaving a sugary taste in your mouth, and funny without being ridiculous. And who could resist a big cat grin like Walter’s…. er I mean “FANG!”