My son is in preschool, just 2 mornings a week. Despite the fact that he spends just 6 hours a week there I still want to do whatever I can to support his school. I offered to host the annual dinner and auction at my home. I have been traveling a ton and been super crazy with my day job so all of the other moms on the committee went out of there way to help pull it all together. In the end I think we pulled off a great event and we raised a lot of money for the preschool. Here is a picture of my front yard all set up for the party. My son is going to cry hysterically tomorrow morning when the guys come to take away his new tent… I am actually beginning to like it too…

We took our son to Disney World in Orlando this weekend. It was his first Disney experience and he loved it (of course). I never thought I was going to be one of those people wearing a trash bag looking rain poncho trudging through an amusement park, but there I was in all my plastic glory.  With my wool sweater and the rain – I had no other choice. At least my husband refrained from capturing the horrific moment on film.

I did want to pass along a great hotel tip. We stayed at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and it far exceeded my expectations. The place is beautiful with really cool artwork, fabrics and decor and yummy restaurants too. It is new so it is spotless. It is linked to the Waldorf Astoria which was also lovely and it has a Guerlain® spa. I think every mom deserves a day at the spa after a day at Disney World. Don’t you agree?

I actually find the time to “read” US Magazine cover to cover every week so obviously I wasn’t jumping for joy with Jake’s final choice. I have to remind myself every now and then that it is just a TV show and that the producers need to create characters and they always do a very good job at it. The biggest surprise for me was that they picked Jake for Dancing with the Stars and not Tenley. I don’t think I am the only one out there that wanted the good girl to win at the end. Of course I will watch Molly and Jason’s wedding next week and can’t wait for the Bachelorette in just a few months. At least I will have my Monday nights back for awhile.

I was honored to be asked to write a little something for The Women’s Conference website. The Women’s Conference is an amazing event held annually in California that has grown into a world class event under the leadership of California’s First Lady Maria Shriver. They have grown their website to be a wonderful resource for women everywhere.  My huge thrill was to find my photo and story tucked right between Heidi Klum and Christiane Amanpour! Check out their XX Effect section to see more. They pose fun questions to women of all ages. Heidi, Christiane and I answered the question, “Who would you most like to have over for brunch?”

One of my best friends had two grandparents and her mother-in-law all in the hospital (3 different hospitals in 3 different cities!) last week. Needless to say she had to jump head first into her role as caregiver, on top of that as wife, daughter and mom to two busy kids. I know first hand what she is going through and it is not easy. There are some great caregiving resources available online to help us all. If you are providing care for your aging parents or grandparents – take a look at some of the help available to you. Caring.com is a great place to start.

When I opened the Boden catalog a few weeks ago I instantly fell in love with these Colourblock Wedges.  I  just love the pink, purple and orange all together and I am sure they will look adorable peeping out under a pair of jeans. I have been obsessing for weeks so I think it is time for me to make the purchase. What a great way to get ready for Spring.  Let the rain and snow stop everywhere so we can wear these…

I have to admit I gained a little respect for Ali for saying goodbye to Jake.  Don’t get me wrong – I like Jake and all, I just didn’t expect Ali to choose her career over air time and finding her dream man.  I have to give her kudos for her rational decision making skills. I was kind of hoping he would have still gotten rid of the girl who wasn’t going to get the rose tonight. Maybe that would have been too many tears for one night. I am just happy there is an end in sight so I can get my Monday nights back…

What do you think about baby planners and baby coordinators? I did not use one (I don’t even think I knew the service existed back then) but I have been doing a little research on the topic and have a whole page dedicated to the topic. The one thing I have learned is that baby planners and coordinators are not all created equal. The companies vary greatly in the services they provide. Do your research first to find someone that really caters to your needs. All I know is that when you are pregnant – you want all the help you can get. What is great about working with a pro is that you can focus on the fun stuff (you get to decide what is fun and let someone else do the rest) and just enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible. If you are having a difficult pregnancy or are working like crazy up until the day before you give birth (that was me!) a baby planner may really come in handy to help you prepare for your baby’s arrival. Little Miracles is one of many members of the National Baby Planner Association (NBPA). I picked them for this posting because I thought they had a very cute logo. If you want to learn more about becoming an accredited baby planner, check out the NBPA site.

Friday night my husband and I decide to go out to dinner with our son. Taking our 3 year old out to dinner at 8pm on a Friday night usually falls into one of two categories – sheer bliss (he is asleep through the whole meal) or utter hell (he is under the table, spilling water all over, hiding in the kitchen or running laps around the place). I was totally thrilled that he quickly opted to fall asleep in my lap after a few helpings of guacamole. Considering my son was likely 25 years younger than any other patron in the establishment – it was a good very good thing.

After my absolutely wonderful dinner and half way through my equally delicious margarita I felt my leg getting warm…then it was wet…then it was soaked. He had unloaded every last ounce of liquid in his body and it had now completely saturated my most favorite pair of jeans.  I was at a complete loss at what to do. I decided to remain focused on the fact that my son was still blissfully asleep and I was out of the house, enjoying a great night out. While contemplating whether it was worse to be covered in pee or chasing a 3 year old around a restaurant all night long,  I finished every last ounce of my margarita. A huge thank you to the staff at Casa de Cobre in Saratoga for assisting me when I finally accepted the truth that my son was dreaming, but not me…

Even though it is February already (how did that happen!?!?) it is still not too late to get your family organized for the new year. There are so many wonderful resources to help get you organized. Trust me – you’ll feel better if you’ve got some sort of calendar system that works for you. Whether you are looking for a colorful day planner made just for moms or an electronic or online organizing tool – I’ve found quite a few that just might fit the bill. These agendas are from Mom Agenda.