Downhill from Halloween

You've taken down the dangling skeleton decorations, spirited the remains of your children's candy stash to the office and then glare at the calendar in disbelief: the holiday season is upon us. And rather than anticipating the season with a sense of glee and wonderment you groan, think about all the things you have to do and how little time you have to do it. And this year, with the economy on shaky ground, you have the added concern of how you can pay for it all.

Here at Momentum we wanted to do something a little different this holiday season, and rather than throw the typical holiday shindig we're throwing a networking happy hour at the Overwood Restaurant to benefit a great cause, the One World Children's Fund. With so many women in career transitions in this market, this is the time to get out there and work our peer network. And rather than dwell on the fact that we can't afford a Nintendo DS for each of our children this year, we're going to raise some much-needed money for an organization that helps truly needy children around the world and here in the U.S.

We're also holding a Silent Auction of services to help make your holiday season less stressful by taking away some of the arduous tasks of the season, like taking the all-important holiday card photo, and allowing you to spend more time with your family and friends. I've been overwhelmed at the generosity of local vendors who have donated time and services for the cause, like Herban Lifestyle , Ballston Animal Hospital and Arbonne. Plus, I've wrangled my closest allies to donate their services to do everything from address your holiday cards, to hanging your outdoor lights to baking those cupcakes for the class party. So come out on join us on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 at the Overwood and meet some great people and bid on some much-needed stress-relieving services for a great cause. Grab a girlfriend, bring her with you as an early gift, because a night of Momentum Resources connections is so much better than another scented candle!

Getting it All Done Part 2: Sharing the Load

As part of our ongoing series on how to get "it" all done, I want to take a look at how we share the load. Not the bigger picture, the spiritual guidance, love and support and warm fuzzies that make the world go 'round, but rather the nuts and bolts of our daily lives. The mountain of laundry that grows without daily attendance. The dishes that never seem to jump out of the dishwasher and back to the cabinets. And the toilets, my god, the toilets (said from the woman who lives with four men).

I truly believe that children should participate in the operations of the household in which they live as soon as they are able- and it's often much earlier than we think. My own personal issue with this is that I want the job done quickly and to my standards. Children just don't do that!

Over the years I've come to terms with the fact that unless I spend several hours per day cleaning my house, it's just not going to be that clean. What I can do is teach my children some very good lessons about housekeeping and doing their fair share that will hopefully make them good roommates and husbands one day.

At our house, we're huge fans of the Swivel Sweeper, a 2 lb vacuum that even 3 year olds can use to clean up the detritus that follows any meal in a home with young children. My boys are also given "wipe up" duty with rags and Method cleaner. And from a very young age, they've been required to clear their own dishes and make their own beds.

I got some great ideas from Annys Shin's article in today's Washington Post, The ABCs of CHORES. Annys interviews local childhood development experts on appropriate levels of chores for each age group, as well as the pros and cons of linking chores to allowances. Now I'm inspired to help teach my 16 month old some chores of his own!