School Day Recap

"How was your day today?" It's a customary dinner-hour question.

In your house and in mine - and houses all over the world - family members take turns sharing highlights (and sometimes lowlights) of their days. These details help us better understand the trials and joys that occur in the hours that we spend apart.

When this question is asked around our dinner table, Elsa can use her PODD book to share (see below for pictures of two different PODD styles, and here's a post I did about PODD). While PODD is a great communications system, one of its shortcomings is immediacy. Getting to what Elsa wants to say takes navigation, patience and time.

Elsa's new classroom teacher and speech therapist made a great suggestion recently: Why don't we record details about Elsa's day onto a BIGmack switch, so she can share specifics with you?

What is a BIGmack, other than a cheeseburger? A BIGmack switch is a large colored button - activated by simple touch - that can be programmed to deliver recorded messages. Some switches enable you to record one message, while others enable a sequenced message.

Photo credit: Mayer-Johnson

It was a great idea! We are loving this interactive school recap experience. Here's a video of Elsa sharing about her day before dinner:

Those smiles! Elsa LOVES being in control of touching the button and hearing a voice that represents her experiences.

One of our goals for Elsa is "total communication." That means we want her to be as versatile as possible. We want her to know that a picture of a dog, and a cartoon of a dog, and an actual dog at the park are ALL dogs. In this same way, Elsa knows she can speak with PODD or a switch, and that both are communication. This flexibility has always been one of Elsa's strengths.

We are in the lengthy paperwork process of trialing some new tablet-style communication devices through Easter Seals. But until these complex pieces of equipment are in hand, the BIGmack switch is giving Elsa another great way to express herself.

Playing with Purpose

'Developmental delay' is something you hear from day one when your child has substantial special needs. Over time, I've gotten comfortable with the words and what they mean: Elsa is on her own path, and she'll do things if and when she can.

While I believe that's true, and accept it completely, naturally there have been some hard moments. For instance, when she was two years old or so, it was tough meeting a friend's new baby and watching the infant so easily reach milestones that we'd been working on for so long. That we are STILL working on today.

Elsa's therapists and educators often ask me, "What are your goals for Elsa?" For five years, my recurrent (often emotional) answer has been, "I just want her to want to play with something."

Playing comes easily when you're a typically developing child. (Most babies purposefully grab an object between four and eight months of age.) But for Elsa, that's just not so. She's certainly shown interest in toys, but to access things, she requires "hand-over-hand" assistance. (Her sisters have become pros at this. Here they are giving her worms...)

Elsa can reach for and activate toys with a swipe or banging motion. But she hasn't been able to pick up, hold and manipulate a toy... until now.

News flash: My girl has started PLAYING WITH PURPOSE. I cannot overstate how huge this development is. Watch her pursue and successfully grasp the balls in this basin. (Oh my gosh, guys, this is SO hard for her!!)

Exciting, right?!? But what does it mean? Everything. Elsa can play!! Play is foundational. It's how children explore the world. Test. Try. Fail. Try again.

I'm over the moon for her newfound independence and hunger for play. Delayed development is development worth celebrating. My heart bursts. Go Elsa go!

Author Spotlight: Ame Dyckman

Picture books come in all shapes, sizes, shades and tenors. The feelings they give you, the places they take you, the characters they introduce you to - all are as unique as the individuals who write them.

So if you come across the work of an author who is also a Mischief Elf, you might put two-and-two together and surmise that you're in for a bit of silly fun. Or perhaps dozens of freshly baked silly moments, iced with cleverness and sprinkled with snickers.

That's precisely what you'll find in the books of Ame Dyckman, pictured below. I'm not sure who is photobombing who in this pic! Ame and her unicorns are cut from the same magical clothe.

We have loved every one of Ame's books. Here are the titles that we most recently borrowed from our library. (Wolfie the Bunny is one of mom's all-time-faves!)

But back to mischief and the Mischief Elf herself: If you are looking for a book that is PURE FUN, then Ame's latest title You Don't Want a Unicorn! is the book for you and your crew.

What would you wish for, if granted one big whopper of a wish? For a boy who loves unicorns, the choice is obvious. But what he doesn't know... 

... is that unicorns aren't exactly as advertised.

They are as destructive as they are mysterious. As crude as they are beautiful.

And they leave behind a steaming pile of... sweetness?... wherever they go. Trust me.

But what's worse than one unicorn? Here are my three girls as they figure it out. (Elsa's leg is fine! She just wears these braces at night to keep her legs in extension.)

As a picture book author, I continually turn to the work of writers like Ame. She has such command of voice and a crystal clear creative perspective. She also naturally speaks "kid" (it's like she's BEEN one or something!) and connects easily with little audiences and their not-so-grown-up parents.

So now I giddily introduce Ame Dyckman (@amedyckman), who has let us behind the rainbow curtain of her imaginative thinking by answering these three Author Spotlight questions. Enjoy!

3 Questions with Ame Dyckman

YOU DON'T WANT A UNICORN! is such a FUN read-aloud experience. How do you know when you’ve totally nailed it? 

Thanks so much for the YOU DON’T WANT A UNICORN! read-aloud love, Anitra! Getting the read-aloud-ness (we’re gonna pretend that’s a word) of a book just right is SUPER important! Parents and guardians and teachers and librarians and booksellers read-aloud to kids who often read-aloud to themselves before they learn to read-in-their-heads. That’s a lot of folks counting on you to make every bit of a read-aloud as perfect as you can! So when I’m writing a new manuscript, I read it aloud approximately 814 times to make sure it has the right ear feel. (Bonus: on nice days with the windows open, it’s funny to see people walking by react to lines like, “STOP! You were gonna wish for a unicorn, weren’t you?”) You finally know it’s a wrap when your read-aloud sounds like you’re just having a conversation with a friend. Which is kinda what books ARE!

So… the cupcakes. Too funny! Where did that hilarious idea come from? How have fans (young and old) responded to it?

*LAUGHING* HAD TO! A can’t-overlook-it part of caring for a pet (or kid!) is cleaning up their inevitable... er, piles. (And once, after gobbling brightly-colored cupcakes at a party, my then-tot kid TECHNICOLOR PILED!) It’s been a riot watching listeners react to the cupcake scene—especially at events where I’ve brought cupcakes for refreshments! Kids who were drooling over the platter before hearing YOU DON’T WANT A UNICORN! suddenly aren’t so sure they want to eat a cupcake after! And more than one grown-up’s earned Bravery Points from their littles by taking a big bite of their cupcake anyway! 

Unicorns are so mystical and rare. They could have any number of unexpected qualities! How did you learn that they have an appetite for destruction? 

The hard way! Just like my protagonist, I wished for a unicorn, too! But was I ready for a large energetic pet who sheds, scratches, chews, jumps indoors, and… cupcakes? NO! I tried, but I could barely keep up with my one! And when *POOF* MORE unicorns appeared, I KNEW I had to warn people they DON’T want a unicorn! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to run to the home store for more hole spackling compound. (Jumping unicorns and low ceilings DON’T mix!)

THANKS for having me, Anitra! And THANKS for reading, everybody!

---

Thank YOU Ame! You Don't Want a Unicorn! can be purchased in bookstores nationwide, as well as online through the bookseller of your choice. You also can enter to WIN an autographed copy from Ame through my Twitter page and blog!

*** WIN You Don't Want a Unicorn! ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 9/29/17 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK! 

Our Beautiful Girl

"She's scary."

If anyone else would have directed those words at my daughter, I may have lost it. Erupted. But it was a three-year-old girl. An innocent, darling child, not capable of filtering her thoughts.

The tears I wanted to cry crawled back down my throat as I put on my mom-voice.

"This sweet little girl? Oh, no, honey. She is beautiful. This is my baby. This is my Elsa. She is so happy to meet you."

Still, the child couldn't break away. She just looked and looked. Stared. Her eyebrows were worried. Things didn't add up. Something was wrong. Something had upset her.

That something was a someone. That someone was Elsa. This sweet angel right here.

Anyone who knows my oldest daughter knows that she's about as far from scary as you can possibly get. I have never in my life met a more gentle and loving person. Despite the fact that this is unequivocally true, the child didn't see that. Couldn't.

What struck me most was not that she thought Elsa was different. I would never refute that. But that the word she chose was such a strong and hurtful one. Her uncensored label made me wonder to whom else Elsa is scary. Will she get more scary, in their eyes, as she gets older and becomes less of a child and more of a woman?

The anger and sadness I felt in that moment was tempered by the fact that I was in a room filled with children, and that my two younger daughters were there, too: Elsa's bodyguards, who would do anything for their big sister.

Frankly, they are borderline obsessed with her.

Several weeks after the "scary" incident, I was out and about with all three girls. I noticed a young boy staring at Elsa in a less-than-positive way. Miss C, my middle, made my year in that moment: She hugged Elsa with all her might, and then hopped in Elsa's lap and shot the boy a look that said, "Are we going to have a problem here?"

While I call Elsa 'gorgeous' and 'adorable' multiple times a day, I cannot ask or expect the world to find her so. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I know that her beauty is unique. But I pray that anyone who meets her gives her a chance to show them her beauty - from her big blue eyes to her teeny tiny toes to the mighty heart in between. 

When the World Acts Up, Give it a Hug - A Guest Post by Rosie J. Pova

Hurricane Harvey rocked the state of Texas, and its impact continues to wave and ripple across our country. While the destruction has been inconceivable, the response to Harvey and Irma has been a reassuring emblem of love. A reflection of the positive potential of humanity.

My friend and picture book writing critique partner Rosie J. Pova is from Dallas. For her friends and family, Harvey's fury is personal. Rosie may look familiar, as I featured her earlier this year on the blog.

Below you'll find how Rosie and her writing community have rallied to support those in need. Thank you to Rosie for this special post. Our prayers go out to you and your community, and God bless all involved in this uplifting relief initiative.

In Rosie's word's...

Recently, my home state took a horrendous hit when Hurricane Harvey poured its rage over Houston. Without going into statistics about this unprecedented flood, which you can find here, one thing's for sure – the devastation it caused my neighboring city was heartbreaking. 

Dallas, where I live, was lucky enough to stay safe, but I feared for friends who live in Houston, including several fellow Clear Fork Publishing authors and illustrators. 

During those days of heavy rains and strong, destructive winds - when peril escalated by the hour - we exchanged prayers, sent out encouragement, and kept in touch through Clear Fork Publishing's private Facebook group. The updates were scary. The pictures looked surreal. We tried to stay positive. 

Naturally, as creative minds tend to do in times of crisis, we felt the need to channel all that energy into something beautiful. An idea sparked into the group as we united our positive vibes – the world needed a hug.

Our wonderful Texas-based publisher was quick to act on it and turn that idea into something tangible. Something inspiring. 

Clear Fork Publishing decided to put together an anthology titled A Hug for the World, consisting of poems, short stories and art, with all proceeds going toward Harvey relief. The amazing Callie Metler-Smith - the owner of CFP, whose heart is as big as Texas - posted a closed submission call for her authors and illustrators and A Hug for the World started to take shape.

I'm happy to announce that my submission to this inspiring project was accepted. My contribution is a poem titled Brotherhood and Love, and it's about – to quote my publisher who summarized it best – "standing with your fellow brother and lifting each other up in love."

I am so excited and proud of this collaboration of so many talents! Just to mention a few – Lynne Marie, Alayne Kay Christian,  Johnny Moore, Vanessa Newton, Melissa Stoller, Sherry Howard, Deborah Weed, Shelley Kinder, Callie Metler-Smith and on and on . . . The beautiful cover was designed by Carina Povarchik. 

The anticipation is building and I can't wait for the release of A Hug for the World, slated for 10/10/17. The love that this book will exude will be undeniable. This is our message for the world, and we'd like to share it with the world as we kindly give it a big hug. 

A Hug for The World:

Join Clear Fork Publishing's talented authors and illustrators as they celebrate a worldwide HUG in our new anthology. All proceeds will go to victims of Hurricane Harvey, as we are a Texas-based publisher and many of our authors and illustrators live in the Houston area. To pre-order, visit here.

Rosie J. Pova:

Rosie J. Pova is a children's author, poet, wife, and mother of three. Originally from Bulgaria, she now lives in Texas with her family. Rosie loves ice cream, but more than that, she loves to inspire children to dream big and follow their passions. No matter what kind of story she writes – funny, sweet or silly – she hopes to move her readers and warm their hearts.

Sarah's Song is Rosie's latest picture book release. It's a story about a granddaughter who comes to terms with her grandmother's failing health and how that affects the special bond the two share through music.

Rosie is also the author of If I Weren't With You (PB, Spork) and a humorous sci-fi novel, Hailey Queen Pranking Makes Perfect: The Alien Encounter, (MG, Spork). Visit her at www.rosiejpova.com and on Twitter at @RosiePOV.

Kidlit Spotlight: My Superhero Grandpa

Happy Grandparents Day! 

The Schulte family sends big hugs to great-grandpa Rowe in Illinois, and great-grandpa and grandma Wessling in Nebraska, and blows kisses to the Schulte, Traughber and Rowe great-grandparents up in heaven. 

We LOVE you!

Our crew also shares X's and O's with our daughters' amazing grandparents: Krapaw and Zannie Rowe (my parents)...

... and Grampy and Grammy Schulte (Dan's folks). 

The relationship between grandchild and grandparent is a precious thing, isn't it? Every time the handsome couples pictured above walk through our front door, adorableness ensues: 

Squeals, jumps and hugs from our younger two.

Lovey gazes, warm smiles and tender cuddles from our eldest.

As parents, you're blessed to be sandwiched by this special love. You get to watch as your parents shower your kids with adoration, then melt as it flows back with equal intensity. It is truly a gift from above.

But, like all holidays, this one can be hard. Some of our friends (now parents themselves) are celebrating Grandparents Day a bit differently than we are this year. They're opening photo albums and telling stories about their parents, who passed much too soon, and praying that their young children will remember and feel bonded to them.

Moms and dads seeking a way to talk to their kids about a grandparent who has passed could find great comfort in My Superhero Grandpa by Michele McAvoy. 

My Superhero Grandpa came on my radar earlier this year when I became part of the Metamorphosis Literary Agency team. Like me, New Jersey picture book author Michele McAvoy is represented by agent extraordinaire Stephanie Hansen. 

My Superhero Grandpa, recipient of a 2016 Moonbeam Award, is a sweet picture book that likens a grandparent in heaven to a superhero. It's an apt comparison: Who better to watch over and guide a child then a grandparent with the perfect vantage point on day-to-day life?

The warm, vibrantly illustrated book is up-beat, comforting and tender, and the simple prose gives straightforward, positive descriptions of a heavenly grandparent's unique role. It would be a great book to read with a child who has recently lost a beloved grandparent, or with a child whose grandparent passed before his or her birth. 

Here's the book's trailer:

This September 2017: Proceeds from all Amazon sales of My Superhero Grandpa this month go to Tuesday's Children, an NYC-based charity that cares for communities impacted by terrorism or traumatic loss.

The cause is close to Michele's heart. She wrote My Superhero Grandpa from a place of great tragedy, but through her experience she also found great hope. As an attorney working in Manhattan on 9/11, Michele experienced the devastation of the historic terrorist attack first hand, only to lose her dad just three day's later in an incident unrelated to the fall of the Twin Towers. She recently wrote about her journey in a beautiful piece for The Children's Writers Guild titled, Writing for Children from Tragedy. It's a very timely, emotional and moving read.

Remembering can be hard. Remembering can be beautiful. But one thing is ALWAYS beautiful: The special place reserved for grandparents in our hearts. Now and always. 

Thank you, Michele, for sharing your work and story, and best of luck in your fundraiser! If you'd like to purchase My Superhero Grandpa and support Tuesday's Children, visit the Amazon link HERE. And be sure to follow Michele on Twitter at @michele_mcavoy!

You also can *WIN* a copy of the book:

Visit me on Twitter and Instagram,

View contest rules,

And ENTER!

Reflection: What gives you energy?

What is your source of energy? It's an interesting thing to ponder. This week, I've been feeling zapped so I've given it some extra thought. Without fail, I turn to these five things when I'm in need of a boost, and they rarely disappoint: Coffee, work, comedy, information and connection. 

When in need of a pick-me-up, I often pair happy zaps with chores or routine life moments...

• Sips of coffee (while serving up breakfast and packing school bags)
• Taking in my favorite podcast (while shuttling the kids around)
• Checking Instagram and Twitter (in rare moments of quiet)
• Watching comedy recaps of the day's headlines (while folding laundry)
• Tweaking a manuscript or writing a blog post (from 11 p.m. until ???)

This dance continues day after day, week after week, until a wave of tiredness hits me and knocks me back. Maybe a few times a year? It really doesn't happen that often. When it does, the exhaustion always perplexes me, causing me stop and remember the things that provide lasting energy and vitality.

Sleep

While a no-brainer for many, sleep is something I resist at all costs. I know, I know... it should be the perfect retreat. A luxurious relaxing gift. But I like to extract every moment of possibility out of a day. When I don't give sleep the respect it deserves, I pay for it - in the form of a severe cold. About a year ago, I got pleurisy. Yes, pleurisy. Something that plagued Benjamin Franklin and is typically avoided in these modern times with simple things like antibiotics and REST.

Exercise

I love exercise, but it's funny. I always forget how much I enjoy it. The second I go for a bike ride or a jog, or step into the gym, I tell myself, "I should do that every day!" And then promptly I forget. Instead I'll remember that thing I wanted to write, or that message I wanted to send, and before I know it the impulse is gone. It rarely occurs to me to get out of the house and exercise until my husband, an avid bike rider, makes plans to hit a nearby trail. At which point, I say... Wait!!! I want to work out, too! So thank goodness he gets out and moves or else I'd be sitting behind a keyboard even more than I already do.

The Word

But nothing, NOTHING eases and orients my mind, body and spirit like the Word of the Lord. My human impulse is to go my own way and handle things on my own. But whenever I remember who is truly in control of my life, and pursue Him the way He pursues me, He's always right there, waiting to catch me and set me back on the right track.

I recently revisited the fabulous book Bible Promises for Parents of Children with Special Needs by my friend Amy E. Mason. God was talking to me loud and clear in the ENERGY chapter of Amy's book. Here's the verse that moved my heart and reminded me where to turn when I feel weary:

Isaiah 40: 28-31  Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grown weary. They will walk and not faint.

Meditating on these words reminds me that I am in His hands and that all my acts are to glorify Him. When I'm tired, I find strength in trusting His will for my life.

Kidlit Craft: Claymates

When I saw the book trailer for Claymates by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge, I knew it was a story for our crew. How so? The clay, of course. We spend hours each day rolling, squeezing and shaping our own colorful, doughy creations. Here's the adorable whistle-worthy trailer that introduced us to the book...

Claymates is a story about two new friends - a gray lump of clay and a brown one - who are filled with excitement and wonder about how an artist will mold them. Each gets transformed into a perfect little creature but is left feeling underwhelmed. (Where's the fun in being neat, tidy and flawless?) When the artist steps away, the claymates play - testing the limits of their malleability. 

As the claymates shape and reshape, they laugh and role play ("Look! I'm an elephant. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP."). They try new things and collaborate ("Let's think big!"). Petty's quick-moving and spirited dialogue and Eldridge's incredible sculptural work take us on an entertaining, engaging, inspiring ride.

The claymates' choice of adventure over perfection reminds me of my middle daughter's recent choice of gymnastics over ballet. Fancy dresses and exacting poses are beautiful, but it's infinitely more thrilling - particularly for a preschooler - to explore personal strength and flexibility. To streeeeeetch expectations. To get lost in movement.

After reading Claymates, and reflecting on the fun had by the shape shifters, it was our turn to play. Because my girls like to lick and eat their play dough (horrifying to witness), I've begun making ours. Here's the super simple all-natural three-ingredient recipe we use. We store our homemade dough in old Play-Doh containers because the lids are great for color sorting and seal very tightly.

Animals are the most fun to make, so we started with a giraffe...

My eldest, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, needs support at the wrist to sustain grasp, but with a little help she can get a nice grip and enjoy the texture of the dough...

My youngest prefers to make snakes. Or as she calls them, "shnrakes."

My middle, the gymnast, made something I can't say I've ever seen before...

A diabolical FROG MONSTER!

Not long ago, I was a "Don't mix the colors!!" play dough mom, but over the years I've become a "Seal it up if you're done with it!!" mom, so that we can experience the wonder of creating again and again.

Want to join in on the fun? Claymates can be purchased in bookstores nationwide, as well as online through the bookseller of your choice. As a reader of my blog (winky wink), you also can enter to WIN an autographed copy, along with this fantastic swag from Dev and Lauren!

*** WIN Claymates ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet

GOOD LUCK!

How to Organize in Style: A Guest Post by Johanna Patterson

We love our home, but man - some things about it have really stumped us. Why is there no logical place for a TV in the family room? Why is the dining room so impossibly small? And the most vexing question of all: Where does that fridge ultimately need to land?

For FOUR YEARS, Dan and I have walked around in circles on the first floor, trying to determine the best possible use of the space. Finally, we lost our minds. We needed a fresh set of eyes on it. We needed a plan.

Enter Johanna Patterson, one of my sister Betsy's dear friends, pictured here with her beautiful family of five.

Johanna is a fantastic interior stylist and blogger. Her online magazine 5th and James is filled with relatable, approachable tips: Home styling with a side of life. You will be blown away by her personal fixer upper, featured HERE. The lady has vision.

Johanna - who helps people create beautiful spaces through her freelance styling business- worked up a new layout and flow for our home, and WHEW! It feels so good to have a plan. She also gave us a beautiful mood/inspo board, which completely nailed my favorite colors, textiles and finishes.

Now that school is back in session, a lot of us are in need of another kind of plan. One for family life organization. Oh no worries, Johanna's got that too! Here's a guest post from this savvy, stylish momma.

In Johanna's words...   

In my mind, when my husband and I decided to have children, I had visions of peace and harmony and skipping through life hand in hand. I thought immediately about all of the memories we’d make together as “a family." I imagined snuggling them as infants, swinging them at the park as toddlers and being their most trusted confidant as they neared adulthood. But I never considered the logistics it would take to actually get there. I never pictured myself yelling from the back door, “PLEASE. put. on. your. shoes.” 

Now: I am no parenting expert. I’m sure there are plenty of people who could weigh in on advice for what we all should do so that we don’t have to tell our darling children more than once to put on their shoes. I’m not that person. My children are 8, 6 and 4. They are the loves on my life. I adore every single part of them. But when they play house, they play “we’re late." My bad. 

To combat this type of insanity (make no mistake, telling a tiny human 78 times to put protection on their feet before stepping out into the frigid snow is nothing less than pure insanity), I started doing a few small things every day to help us all stay sane. As I alluded, in our house the things that trip us up the most are getting dressed and out the door. And the key to it all: organization. I know, nothing ground breaking, but none the less the magic ingredient to a Nice Mommy. And, because I like things to look pretty, and function easily, for me the key was to organize in style. And you can too. I promise. 

1. Schedule

Like many people, I keep our life organized in my phone. I love the google calendar that allows us to share and update our activities on the go. If I schedule an appointment that is divergent from our regular weekly schedule, such as a doctor’s appointment, I always select an alert to go off on my phone so that I can be reminded mid Costco run that I have a half hour to get out of there and into the waiting room.

But what I think is the key to keeping our schedule organized is breaking it down week by week at home, in real ink, the old fashioned way. We have come a long way in attractive planning systems. My favorite is this one from Pottery Barn. It allows you to view your whole month at a glance. You can color code different family members activities and keep important paperwork close by with the coordinating letter bins and pin-boards or whatever your space allows. 

Another idea is to just have an old fashioned planner. I have a planner always out on my counter. Every Sunday night, I flip to the next week ahead and fill in all of our activities from my master calendar on my phone. It not only serves as a reminder for me of what is coming up, but very often there is something that I need to do to prepare for an activity, and I then write that on the adjacent to-do list page. This way, as I head into the week, I feel organized and on top of things. Even when I have a hectic week and a packed to-do list.

I like to keep a running weekly to-do list and nothing satisfies me more than crossing things off that list. At the end of the week if items remain on that to-do list, I move it to the top of the list for the next week. This system makes me feel organized headed into each week, and doesn’t stress me out too badly over the things coming up in the following weeks. They aren’t bulky or a big jumbled mess on the refrigerator; they keep your life organized and your home polished. 

2. Plan Outfits Ahead of Time

I have two girls in my mix who are particular about what they wear right down to the coordinating accessories. In my experience, that isn’t something we can just throw together at the last minute. For us, the key to happiness here is setting out outfits the night before. That way it gives us plenty of time to set out the shoes and the tights and the hair accessories and all the fun that comes with getting a little girl dressed. (I do this for my son, as well. It just isn’t as involved.) 

An organized closet is the ticket to making this process painless. Invest in a closet organization system or have a local carpenter make one custom for you. Before you do so, think about the way you’ll use the closet. Gage for the amount of hanging clothes you have, the things that you want to be tucked away in drawers, and the things you’ll need shelf space for. We have an historic home, and even in our small closets, we were able to carve out space for organization.  When you can see everything you have, you are more inclined to wear it and the easier it is for little hands to reach, the more inclined our kids are to put their stuff away on their own. Can I get an AMEN?!

3. Double Up Downstairs

One day I was at my friend's house sitting in her kitchen when she opened a drawer at her island and pulled out a hairbrush. Eureka! Pure brilliance. She has four children; this was not her first rodeo.

In our house, we now keep toothpaste and a toothbrush for each child tucked away in the powder room drawer as well as a brush, rubber bands and detangling spray. After my kids get dressed each morning they come downstairs to eat breakfast. After breakfast we brush teeth and hair right there downstairs, grab our backpacks and go. Everything gets tucked away nicely in the drawer, and the next guest to use our powder room is none the wiser. 

4. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

I completely missed the memo on how much stuff we would accrue as a family. Backpacks, bags, shoes, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, boots, umbrellas, unicorns…. you know the drill. I needed a place for it all right when we came in the door to avoid the Hansel and Gretel style trail of personal items dropped throughout the house. For us, this came in the form of built in cubbies. Everyone has their own space, and there is a place for everything. Double hooks for backpacks and bags and coats; space for shoes, baskets for sunglasses, hats and mittens.  Basically, everything you need to get out the door. If you don’t have a spot for cubbies, there are really stylish wall systems now such as this one that make organizing a breeze. Or, even a set of hooks and baskets at child height in a front hall closet helps. The goal is really just to avoid the most annoying maternal question of all, 14 seconds before you’re supposed to be in the car, “Mom, where is my ______.”

5. A Dump Basket

Even the most organized of us all will still find their kids carrying around things (and leaving them around the house) and ask themselves, “where DOES that go?” Fidget spinners, mashems, lego creations, stuffed animals. For these such items, I keep a basket on the stairs.  When I come across an abandoned toy, it goes in the basket. At the end of the day, the kids are responsible for emptying the basket and putting its contents away. It usually takes them about five minutes, and it allows them to decide where that particular invaluable piece of plastic will live. Often times people will pop in my house and say, “I can’t believe three kids live here.  Where is all of their stuff?” My secret is: it’s in the basket. It’s out of my sight, and off my couch and they are in charge. I’m all about the win/win. 

Beautiful function is the key to this mama's happiness. It leaves time to have fun together and enjoy the millions of little things my kids do that I don’t want to miss. It frees up headspace otherwise occupied with anxiety about what lies ahead, and it’s nice to look at, too. Kids do not have to equal clutter. You just have to organize in style. 

Johanna is available for limited consultation services. For more, visit her blog 5th and James. You also can follow Johanna on Instagram at @5th_and_james.

Summer Bucket List: Anderson's Bookshop Naperville

Summer is winding down, and it's now or never for bucket list items. One at the top of my list for this season was a trip to nearby independent bookseller Anderson's Bookshop Naperville.

As a picture book writer and blogger, and a resident of Chicago's western burbs, I've been dreaming about getting over there since moving out of the city (and quite near Naperville). But life has been, shall we say, busy? Now that my three girls are a little older (the eldest is just starting kindergarten), we aren't so married to the sleep-eat-sleep merry-go-round and can get out of the house for four hours at a time. Baby steps.

So this summer, off we went to Anderson's!

Our crew met for the morning with the fam of fellow Chicagoland picture book writer Lisa Katzenberger. Lisa read our kids HERE COMES DESTRUCTO-SAURUS! by Aaron Reynolds, an author who recently visited Anderson's for a book signing. Super fun book with fantastic illustrations.

While I was doing my best to have a coherent chat with Lisa, my girls kept bringing me book after book after book. Future publicists? It is the family biz! I gave each title a good look before trying to find its native real estate. It was a battle I was never intended to win.

One book they proudly shared: WHEN PENNY MET POTUS. I'm Twitter pals with the book's lovely author, Rachel Ruiz, and knew her paperback edition was out. It was so exciting to get to see it firsthand and share it with my girls. Fabulous, fabulous book, Rachel!

At every turn in Anderson's, I was struck by the heart that went into the details. Just look at this hand-written color-coded schedule of events... 

I especially adored their themed displays, including a section devoted to "books to bring to a baby shower," which prominently featured Kelly DiPucchio's LITTLES: AND HOW THEY GROW (Here's my Author Spotlight with Kelly). The browsing experience was top notch.

Anderson's also prominently displays the work of local and visiting writers. I smiled when I spotted Renee Rosen's WINDY CITY BLUES (I met Renee at a recent writing conference, where she dropped a crazy amount of knowledge about book marketing). 

Our primary objectives for the visit were to explore the store, connect with Lisa and her kids, and leave with a very specific set of monsters. We did all three. Here's us test driving WHAT MAKES A MONSTER? by Jess Keating. As predicted, we determined it was an excellent fit for my non-fiction loving nephew. 

After a morning of great fun (despite my young tornados - my sincere apologies Anderson's staff!), we spent a good long while in downtown Naperville. It was lovely. The last time I had been in the city's center it was winter. What a difference a change of the seasons can make.

We lunched and made wishes at the fountain... (I countered the girls' wish for a baby brother with a wish for NO baby brother...)

Meandered down the river path...

And at long last said goodbye...

All three girls were asleep before we hit Mill Street on the short drive home. Thank you Anderson's for the gem that you are to locals and visitors alike, and for all that you do to support writers and the import of the physical book.