Valuing Your Summer Schedule - Calendar Tool

That's the title of my upcoming teleclass (June 11). There's still one more spot if you'd like it. Email me at julie@julzoflife.com.

"A schedule defends from chaos and whim.

It is a net for catching days...

A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order --

willed, faked, and so brought into being.
~Annie Dillard

Even if you can't play this time, check out this great tool, Google Calendar! (calendar.google.com) You can create a calendar for each member of the family, or multiple groups within (mom and kids, mom and dad, just mom). I even made one for the sitter schedule. They're all color coded. You can print a master with everything or just some of the bits.

Check it out! If you have something you really like to keep everyone in your house moving in a positive direction, let us know!

Left to Their Own Devices

On Wednesday, as I brought my kids home from school/sitter, they were in cahoots about something. Big whispers in the back seat followed by them locking themselves in the toy room to create "a surprise."

I'm typically nervous about closed-door surprises from my munchkins (now 6 and 3 1/2 yrs), but I decided to let them be totally undisturbed for about an hour. There were occasional squabbles, but they worked them out on their own. I made dinner in peace. It was lovely.

Just as I was calling for them to wash up, they produced a brown paper gift bag, decorated and tied with a gold ribbon. The girls were grinning from ear to ear and on the verge of explosion if I didn't open it NOW.

Inside there were two Christmas cards. My older daughter's sweet poinsettia card said, "taks for wrking and taking care of us! Jasmine" and her little sister's Santa card was already printed with, "he's making a list... Hope all your dreams and wishes are fulfilled!" and then, "thangx for wrking Mom" in Jasmine's pen. At the end, my 3 1/2 year old magnificently wrote her own name.

I welled up. They have no idea how much these two cards meant to me. Their timing was impeccable. Their intentions, totally unprovoked.

Tell me, when was the last time you were genuinely and spontaneously appreciated?

Springing Into Abundance - What's YOUR Spring??

The last issue of The Gem highlighted abundance. Many of you have emailed me about a situation that snapped you back to reality about your own abundance.

Please... take a minute to share with others what did it for you.

Snotty Following

It's too funny how many of you wrote to me about also having a nasty cold. Almost as many who struggle with negativity.

So maybe we should all stand on our chairs at the same time and chant, "I am well and lucky to be here today!" (Although it might sound like "I emb well and so luggyto be here... cough wheez gag... " Beware of fallout below.)

Be well. Drink liquids. Stay away from others!

Teacher Let the Monkeys Out

So now what?!

You're settled in your comfy routine of work/school/childcare/activities... and BAM! June comes along before you know it.

I promised in The Gem that I'd be asking you questions for my upcoming book. I meant it. I need your help. I'd like to know two things... your biggest frustration and your biggest "secret weapon" for a joyful transition into summer.

Think about the following aspects:

• childcare while you work
• preparing their closets for a new size and season
• scheduling activities (and getting the kids to them)
• emotions (thiers and yours)
• REST
• Vacation
• school prep
• ???

Let me know your thoughts and a copy of "5 Steps to Unclog the Drain and Let Your Energy Flow" is YOURS!

Valuable Feedback Request

In the first chapter of my book, we go over values exploration.

So I'm curious, what values guided your decision to have kids?

To work?

To choose your type of work?

When you make big decisions, do you consciously consider your core values, or just trust your intuition? Are you a pro/con list maker? Or do you flip coins and read tea leaves?

Tell me. I truly want to hear what you have to say.

Hello, I'm Mommy.

Happy belated Mother's Day, Moms!

I do hope you weren't online, or worse yet, WORKING on your day. I hope you were able to marvel at your offspring and be thankful.

My very first Mother's Day was just a few days after the birth of my first daughter. I remember bringing her home. I sat in the hospital vestibule in a wheelchair with her on my lap in a basket carseat. The sun was pouring in the windows as we waited for my proud husband to bring the car around. There was an old woman on oxygen across the way in her own wheelchair. She stretched her neck as far as she could to see in my basket.

"Who do you have there?" she asked.

With tears uncontrollably welling I choked out, "This is Jasmine," introducing her for the very first time. "I get to take her home."

There was so much in that declaration. I was finally believing that I'd been trusted enough to be a mother... it was tough to conceive, and thereafter I spent nearly 10 months (she was overdue) in disbelief. But in that moment, as I introduced my daughter, I also introduced myself as forevermore, "mommy."

The moment was truly divine.

What's you're favorite moment as a mother?