By Nickole Podany

I love having things planned out. Being organized, having routines—it makes life easier. You know where each kid needs to be. What they need to bring. When they need to be there.

Living indoors through the winter months is a lot like being on a sailboat without wind - you wish that you could get moving and change the view. So when spring finally comes, your restless kids sail off in all directions, going to sports events, hangouts with friends, and outdoor activities.

Parenting will take you places, no question about it – moms everywhere end up transporting various family members all over town. And inevitably, things get forgotten or missed while you’re juggling the destinations and required gear in your head. While you can’t remember everything all the time, you can plan ahead to give your brain a break.

There’s a reason National Organizing Month is in January. After a hectic December (and November, and October, and…), it’s not just natural to need to get things back in order, it’s necessary. Start your 2012 off on the right foot by making a few New Year’s organizing resolutions. But don’t feel like you have to get everything done right now. If you try too much upfront, you’ll quickly tire and throw in the towel all together. Instead, set some realistic benchmarks and goals for the first three months, and then keep a steady pace, doing what you can. Don't forget to write them down in a notebook, planner or calendar!

I remember New Years Eve 2000 – 2001. It was quiet in our small rented house circa 1918. I remember sitting on our couch with my wife recounting the events of the year — watching the glow of the neighbor’s fireworks through our front room window — the soft hum of holiday music rolling from the CD player. It was our first New Year’s celebration as parents. The baby lay sleeping in the back bedroom…for now. It was a peaceful moment that I still cherish...

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. It sounds like several of you could really use a dry-erase board (or two) around the house - now you know where to get the best ones. As for the lucky winner who will be enjoying a Board Dudes magnetic dry-erase board for free? Congratulations are in order to our randomly selected winner:

A friend of mine doesn’t like to set New Year’s Resolutions that she knows aren’t going to happen, so instead she does what I jokingly call ‘hindsight resolutions.” She takes some time at the turn of the year to look back on the previous 12 months and think about all that she’s accomplished. I tried it last year, and it’s a real pick-me-up. After thinking about

December is upon us. Month 12. The busiest time of the year. Sometimes, it seems like you take all the parties and get-togethers you missed during the year and try to cram them into the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. You have travel plans and house guests, holiday meals, gift purchasing and gift delivery.

And on top of all this, there’s the fear that if you miss one task, you’ll feel like a Scrooge. Making time for every holiday activity for everyone in your family can be a little like juggling cups of egg nog – you want to get through with as little mess as possible while hoping nothing lands on top of something else.

I love the time change in the fall—setting the clock back an hour as I crawl into bed and waking up on Standard time again. That extra hour of sleep works wonders. But Standard time isn’t perfect. It gets dark incredibly fast during the cold months and now we’ve suddenly got an extra hour to burn in the dark before we send the kids to bed. Now what?

Spring forward, fall back. The autumn daylight savings time change is the “good” one because we gain an hour. Still, the sudden change in time (and when it gets dark outside) isn’t always an easy transition for kids. Plan for the change and be prepared to deal with a little readjustment. It’s getting darker earlier, so get the house ready for more indoor time.