It’s no secret that there are a ton of clothing options for little girls. Tell someone you’re expecting a little girl and you can pretty much guarantee a response about how good the shopping is. Say you’re expecting a boy and, well, running out to buy clothes isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Little girls might like clothes more than little boys do, but let’s face it, there isn’t much for the little guys once you get past the cheap stuff with iron-on characters. Read the rest »

Talk about having it together, Clever Parent Jennifer McMullen fulfilled a dream by founding a business that taps into her creativity, gives her more time with her boys, and allows her to channel her business success toward a cause she feels deeply about. Impressed? We are.

The story starts with Jennifer, deciding she needed to do something more creative than her engineering career offered, plus she wanted to spend more time with her son. “I always had the daydream of leaving my engineering career and starting something new that allowed me to be more creative, so I decided to use this time to try something different and spend more time with my son. My mom taught me to sew when I was young so I revisited my sewing machine and began creating funky clothing for girls.” Read the rest »

Organize your supplies so that your children have easy access to new experiences every day. It’s hard to be creative when you are worried about getting marker on the table, play dough in the carpet, or paint on the walls, so set up a “safe” craft haven for your little one. Choose an area that is uncarpeted and can be their own creative space. Purchase a kid-size table and chairs and keep cleaning supplies handy. Baby wipes are great for wiping markers and paint off of little one’s hands and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser really does work magic. Make their space extra special by creating a place for them to post their artwork after they’ve finished creating. A simple clothesline is the most affordable “art gallery” for their mini masterpieces.

ORGANIZING PHOTOS: Digital and Film
Got photos? Are they organized? Decide which photos you want to organize first: film or digital then follow these steps.

STEP ONE –Develop (film) or Download (digital)
Develop all canisters of film OR download all pictures off the digital camera.

STEP TWO-Edit
Overview:
Duplicate photos should be given away/deleted! The ‘give-away’ system can be as simple and economical as using envelopes or Ziplock baggies labeled “Grandma” or “School*”. There is no reason to hang onto 30 pictures of your child’s first day of school. In contrast, photos become lavish gifts when presented in a leather photo envelope or inserted into glass bookends. A nice gift for grandparents is to insert a photo into a pre-matted frame and let little ones sign their names on the mat. Read the rest »

Looking for a something unique and stylish for a baby or toddler? Check out H.C.I.T. – How Cute Is That! – a new company from Shelly Berger, sewing fanatic and mother of two.

Laid off from a corporate job just over a year ago, Shelly had had her fill of Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. But reality–”being married, having two children and a passion for eating out and being born to shop ” meant that Shelly would need to contribute financially. So she decided to take a bad situation and turn it into an opportunitiy to fulfill a lifelong dream to start her own business. “What turned out to be a blessing in disguise was quite painful the first few days”, she says, but “I’ve always had a burning desire to do something and be something creative, and for me, that outlet is fashion and design.”

H.C.I.T. produces “super cute baby and tot necessities” including swanky blankies, retro quilts and ribbon tie bibs, two-toned raglan tees, lounge pants and onesies — all of which are handmade – designed, cut and sewn by Shelly herself. Read the rest »

Use this document to track your monthly bills, due dates, payees, amounts due/paid, and reference numbers.

Download here: monthly_bills.doc

The emphasis on this month is going to be all about saving money by being organized. A few years back when I made my own personal transformation, I learned that I had been wrong about seemingly organized people. First, I always assumed those who seemed organized had way too much time on their hands. Also, I thought it would cost too much money to be organized. Time and money were not things that I had a lot of! What I came to realize was that being organized SAVED me time and money. Procrastination does not buy you time…it costs you money and time. Read the rest »