National Working Parents Day is September 16th!

How do parents juggle work and all their kids needs and activities?

It's not easy but with a little planning, you can do it!

Grocery shopping. Pick a weekend day, Saturday or Sunday to get the week's shopping done.

This can be done while the kids are at a birthday party or play date or game. You can exchange babysitting with a neighbor. It's much easier to do the shopping for lunches and dinner menus WITHOUT the kids!

Laundry. Two theories.

Number one, do a load or two everyday. It's non-stop but it's easy to multi-task while cooking dinner or watching TV at night.

Number two, save it all up and spend one day, Saturday or Sunday doing it all. I've done it both ways and I can say I prefer to do it all in one day. It forces everyone to wear a variety of clothes and not the same shirt over and over, because it's been washed daily.

Meal planning. Plan out the whole week, cooking a roasted chicken one night, then using the left overs for tacos or enchiladas the next night. Keep a supply of frozen veggies for a quick side dish, or buy fresh at the local Farmer's Market for the week.

Driving. Car pooling with others in the neighborhood. Form a bike riding group to school and back. Plan your kids after school activities for certain days of the week to simplify your driving. It will be a while before the young ones get their licenses, so be creative.

Celebrate National Working Parents Day on September 16th!

Hang in there! You Can Do it!

Anne Z

Want to Sell on eBay?

I have been a seller on eBay for over 11 years. In that time I've sold many items, like used tennis balls, books, household items, and even some unopened bubbles. It's still a thrill to see bids and completed sales come my way.

I also sell for many of my friends and we split the profits. Others have told me that they are interested in selling on eBay, but are.....

1) too afraid

2) don't have the time

3) don't like the post office

4) fill in the blank.....

eBay can be done from your own home, from your own computer, at any time day or night and it's FUN! Here are a few simple basics you will need to know before selling on eBay.

How to Sell on eBay Even if You Don't Have Any Experience At All

I use a selling program for the Mac called iSale. It's in version 6 of the software. It's basically a template (with lots of choices of backgrounds) that allows one to drag and drop photos (it resizes for you) into the template, click through all your selling info on one page. One can load 12 photos into the template, hosted by a personal .me (.mac) account and not get charged for extra photos of your item. It's so easy, in fact it's a snap!

I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN SELL ON eBAY! YOU CAN DO IT!

More next time,

Anne Z

Take a Walk!

The kids are back in school. 

You have a little more time for yourself! What to do?

Talk a walk! 

Get out there! You can do it! 

Here's how in 5 simple steps! Click on this link to my eHow article:

How to Start Walking and Get Moving

It's easy, fun! It doesn't cost anything! 

Take a couple 10 minutes walks and add them up to the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day! What could be simpler?

Ask a friend to join you! Or get the leash and take the dog! They will be so happy!

Let me know how you do!

Anne Z

PS I'm going for a walk after I post this this morning!

I Can Do It, So Can You!

If you are like me, you have many interests. Let's take photography.

I like to take lots and lots of pictures of my family and friends! 

What to do with all those photos? How about making a photo book? It's fun and easy! 

But here's an example of what comments I hear when I talk about making one.

AnneZ: I'm making a new photo book. This one is about our Summer Vacation Scavenger Hunt. 

You: I don't have the time.

AnneZ: What about when your kids are asleep or in school?

You: Well, even if I did have the time, I don't know how.

AnneZ: All you need is a Mac!

You: Okay, so let's say I have a Mac, now what do I do?

AnneZ: You have to pick a group of photos, put them in an album. It could be your kid's birthday, or a trip you took, or a graduation.

You: I'd love to make a book and give it to someone as a gift but it seems too hard.

AnneZ: It's really not hard at all. You can use iPhoto on the Mac and click on Book. Then you pick a template and drag and drop the photos you want to use.

You: You make it sound so easy.

AnneZ: It is easy. You can work on it a bit at a time and save your work and come back to it?

You: Really?

AnneZ: It's best if you have some kind of deadline to get your work done, like a holiday or birthday. You order it by internet and about a week later you have a beautiful, professional book.

You: Really?

AnneZ: Yes, really. You can do it!

That's a typical conversation I have when I mention to someone that I'm making a photo book.

If you have a digital camera, a good subject, a couple of hours of time (really, that's all it will take), a deadline (good motivation for creative endeavors!), you can produce a very nice product. The templates do all the work. You just order them in a logical sequence, with captions or not, and you will impress everyone who gets a chance to see it when it's done.

Photo books make great one-of-a-kind gifts for teachers, family members, friends or even yourself. They come in hardback and soft cover as well. Big, little, you have many choices of size. What are you waiting for? You can do it!

Anne Z