Where did the whole summer go?  For me, it absolutely flew right by.  Maybe it was because it rained practically the entire month of June or because we didn't hit 90 degrees until August, but whatever the reason, I'm amazed that we're already getting ready to go back to school. 

You may notice some subtle differences in the look of this week's e-newsletter.  We spent a good part of our summer investigating and putting together some fantastic new ways for you to enhance your experience on LIParentSource.com and make it easier for you to get the information that you need.  We've started with the design of our newsletters and hope that you enjoy the changes!  We'll continue to send out our Parent Perks newsletter the first Tuesday of each month and keep an eye out for some special newsletters dedicated to upcoming events.  As always, we love all feedback and comments so click here to let us know what you're thinking or send an e-mail to info@liparentsource.com.

As each day bring us closer to the kids going back to school, I am constantly trying to figure out how to be more organized.  Why is it so hard to assign everything we own a specific spot so that we always know where things are when we need them?  In the past, I have thought to myself that the blame should like with the kids (they moved it) or the cleaning lady (she must have thrown it away) when in actuality, I just can't seem to remember where everything is all the time.  This past week, I was convinced that our cleaning lady had thrown away a brand new bathing suit that I had purchased earlier this summer and was so bummed because I hadn't even worn it yet.  This morning, I decided to call the store where I had purchased it because I didn't quite remember picking it up after the alterations had been done and what do you know, it was still there!

Visit our Household Resources to find businesses that can help you; whether you need to hire a cleaning service or a landscaper to lighten the load, a little thing can make a big difference.  We've put together some great tips and tools for you this week to help you be more organized and save some time.  Enjoy & have a great week!

As parents, we are juggling so many different things (multiple schedules, work, household chores, appointments, homework....) that we know as soon as one ball drops, the rest will come tumbling down right behind it.  There are great ways to keep this from happening and we've made some suggestions below.

1. Take it slow.  Be realistic.  Rome wasn't built in a day - you are not going to be able to organize 10 years of clutter in the two hour gap in your schedule between your son's best friend's birthday party and your daughter's well visit at the pediatrician.
2. Do one room at a time.  Make three bins - one to donate, one to keep and one to save.  Go through your items and categorize them.  Some great places to sell your used items are our free classifieds, Craigslist and Ebay.
3. Set up two boxes near your front door - one marked "in" and one marked "out".  The "in" box should hold mail and magazines until you have time to sort through them and the "out" box should hold outgoing mail/bills, permission slips and the dog's leash.
4. Create a master calendar and write everything down for every family member.  Utilize the Parent Planner on our site to organize local businesses you want to visit or events you want to attend.  If you like to carry your calendar with you, try momAgenda planners - they have a spot for each day and up to 4 kids' schedules.  If you and your spouse are technologically savvy and use PDAs, send an invitation to your spouse when you add an event to the calendar so it shows up on their calendar as well.
   
5. Take toys out of their original boxes and store them in labeled clear bins.  For kids who can't read yet, attach a picture to the box of what it holds so that they can clean up their toys when they are finished playing with them.

According to Shannon McGinnis's  book "10 Minute Tidy", the entire family should pick up and put things for 10 minutes  each day.  The Power Hour is another concept where you split one hour of the day into four 15 minute sections and focus intensely on one task. An example of a ways to split that hour is into

1. laundry, trash or vacuum
2. kitchen cleanup
3. pick up clutter
4. deep clean one item - bathtub, kitchen counters, sink, etc.

During your Power Hour, use a timer and don't let one project grow beyond its allotted 15 minutes. You can also use the Power Hour for business as well.

In our house, I am usually running around at about 5pm, trying to think of something to make for dinner.  Many nights, my son will want one thing, my daughter will want something else and by the time my husband gets home from work, I am so out of sorts from making too many different meals for the kids that we either don't eat anything or he winds up with their leftovers.  At the end of the night I feel awful because he went from work chaos to home chaos and wound up with either a frozen Lean Cuisine or a sandwich. 

Meal planning is a huge phenomenon currently taking over households across the country.  By putting together a weekly meal plan and a detailed grocery list in advance, your entire family can eat healthier and together, while saving time and money and eliminating the stress of the "What's for dinner?" hour.  Dine Without Whine and Kid Approved Meals are both services that will help you with meal planning, providing recipes and a weekly grocery list, all to help with organization and save time.

Since our inception nearly three years ago, LIParentSource.com has tried our best to help parents to keep information accessible and easy. We are constantly adding new features to the site so please take a minute to read below and make sure you are taking advantage of everything available to you...

• Use our Resource Directory to find everything from camps, kids classes, organizers, cleaning services, party resources, fitness programs, restaurants... if it relates to family, you will find it on LIParentSource.com.
• Use the A-Z Phone Directory when you just need to find a phone number or address quickly.
• Looking for fun? Check the Events Calendar often for local events and activities.
• Use the Parent Perks section to find great deals & printable coupons for local and online merchants.
• Use the Parent Planner to coordinate after-school classes with other parents or use it when you are planning your activities for the weekend. Click on any resource or event you are interested in and then click on the Parent Planner to print out or email your personalized list.
• Organize your closets and clear out your garage by purging all those things you are no longer using and sell them on our Classifieds or use our Families Giving Back page to find a local organization to donate to.