When girls reach middle school age … planning the perfect birthday party without fighting, pettiness or cat-fights becomes challenging.

My daughter and I developed the “Perfect Birthday Party”, complete with a NO FIGHTING NO BICKERING guarantee.

Rule #1: Type out a DETAILED schedule in advance, and make sure your daughter has complete input and “buy-in”.

Rule #2: Keep them so busy they don’t have time to think.

Rule #3: Devise outside strenuous activities and divide into teams ONLY by picking Team A or Team B tickets from a hat (this avoids the typical “I want to be on your team”
And the “Don’t put me with her, she’s not any good.”

Rule #4: Don’t give out prizes (then neither team feels bad).

Rule #5: Plan enough outside running around games so that the next few “indoor projects” will be more appreciated.

Rule #6: Confiscate all cell phones and explain to the girls that if there is an emergency, you can use the house phone (this eliminates texting, outside interference, girls showing others photos and ignoring the birthday girl.) This is a MUST!

Rule #7: If sleeping over, lay down the rules while the parents are dropping off. Nicely say, “By the way, I am enforcing a strict lights out-no talking policy by 1 AM (or 2 AM), and if there are any problems you’ll have to pick up your daughter at that time” and by saying this in-front of the parents, the girls will be more inclined to listen to you at the end of the night.

Rule #8: The next morning, have a definite time for pick up (around 10:30 am)

Rule #9: The birthday girl can ONLY open gifts the next morning providing everyone’s dressed and all their stuff is by the front door. You’d be surprised how this can motivate the girls to listen and clean up.

Rule #10: Try to give out a memorable party favor (best if hand-made by the birthday girl) as it will be more meaningful.

Posted by Melody at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

It is not often that someone sends you an email that will give you an "A-HA" moment. Well, I just received one. It was published originally on Financial Hack’s blog quite a long time ago (in December 2007 I believe). But ironically, it was just emailed to me (thus the beauty of a good solid posting … it is timeless).

What I took away from the article and I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to link below to read it, is that our basic human nature is to be lazy, say it can’t be done, throw up our hands and say it’s impossible, or too difficult.

Why did this give me an AHA moment? Because once the Japanese defined the problem (Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space in the grocery stores), they didn’t give up until a solution was found.

What sets apart a true entrepreneur and highly successful business woman or man is the following:

an innate ability to see the glass half full

to become the little Einstein who won’t give up

to try and try again.

even with failures … to keep pushing onward until you achieve a winner

Try sharing this watermelon story with your employees, co-workers and kids. Discuss how you should not assume that anything is too difficult, question and analyze your own habits, be creative, look for a better way, and realize that impossibilities often aren't really impossible.

Click Here to read the original watermellon blog

Posted by Melody at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently, I unfortunately learned a ton about Hospice Care. I never thought that I would need to call them (at least not so soon) but found that after my Dad was hospitalized for a long time, and upon his return home, his primary care physician of 10+ years recommended that we use Hospice.

With a gasp of surprise, she realized that I was of the “old school” and thought that Hospice is called in when someone is literally on his “death bed.” This is NOT the case.

In fact, nurses, physical therapists and home health aids are all available to work with families to help them in a variety of ways. EACH case is evaluated independently. If your loved one has an incurable disease and is deteriorating and needs medical assistance, it pays to CALL THEM.

Also, it helps to become extremely organized (especially if you are the daughter or son of the loved one needing help). Make lots of charts. Right down names and contact numbers, responsibilities of who is doing what and when, and most importantly … if you do not feel that the Hospice worker assigned to you is the “right” match, then by all means ask for a different case manager or a different aid. Not everyone “clicks” and gets along with your style. It is perfectly OK to request someone else to care for your loved one if you don’t feel the level of care is adequate or if personalities don’t mesh.

As the Hospice website states,

“When is the right time to ask about hospice? Now is the best time to learn more about hospice care and ask questions about what to expect. Although end-of-life care may be difficult to discuss, it is best for loved ones and family members to share their wishes long before it becomes a concern. This can greatly reduce stress when the time for hospice becomes apparent. By having these discussions in advance, uncomfortable situations can be avoided. Instead, educated decisions can be made that include the advice and input of loved ones. “

As for my family, well, sum it up to say that running a business, juggling 3 kids and a husband (often a kid himself) and dealing with 2 other sets of aging parents can be stressful. As a Mom and business owner being pulled from all sides, my only advise to others is to eat right, exercise, get a good massage, enjoy great sex in between running to and from the hospitals, and partake in a fabulous Merlot from time to time.

Posted by Melody at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)