The start of each year sees many resolving to lose weight, get fit, simplify life and improve. High on the list of new year resolutions is also the goal of becoming more organised, particularly within the home.

It's so easy to allow other interests and family commitments fill the calendar while the mundane household tasks are pushed further and further behind.

Goal setting and resolutions are great but statistics tell us that, for many reasons, only 8% of people achieve their resolutions. It has been suggested that writing down your lists and taking notes will all contribute towards achieving those goals. So... the new Weekly Household Planner from Confident Mom is a valuable tool for those wanting to improve in this area. It's helpful for anyone trying to keep on top of the weekly household chores.
And... it's free.

The planner provides a weekly outline of tasks to accomplish; some of these are daily tasks that need to be completed and a couple of other tasks are additional. If you follow the outlined household chores, you should find that chores are no longer a 'chore'. You should take no longer than about 30-45 minutes each day and you won't dread the weekend when the build-up of chores will take a large part of the day to complete. The planner also includes an area for planning your weekly menu and an area for an additional notes. You'll also be able to track your water intake. And... each week includes an inspirational quote.

You can find the FREE downloadable planner here..
Instructions and introduction to the planner can be found here..

I love to read books with my grand-kids and yes, it often means reading the same book again and again. I've lost count of the number of times I've read 'Where is the Green Sheep?' or 'Blossom Possum'. What books do you love to read aloud? Which books are you always asked to read again and again?

Over and again, studies highlight the benefits of reading to your kids.For example, a study was made in Rhode Island Hospital to compare two groups of eight months old – one group was read to often as babies, while the other was not.  It was shown that those who were read to have their “receptive” vocabularies (number of words they understand) increased 40 per cent since babyhood, while the non-reading group increased by only 16 per cent. 

Kimdoma is an app that enables you to read aloud with your grandchildren any night of the week, whether they live next door or kilometres away.

The app combines e-books with video calls which means that you can share the book on your individual iPads. You and your grandchild can choose a book together- there are 26 popular stories in the Kindoma library. The screen displays both the book and video of both you and your grandchild.
Either of you can turn the page and an indicator also pops up on-screen when one person is pointing to a particular word or picture. For a better understanding of how this concept works, check out the clip below.

Planning a movie night at home with the kids is fun, but before you break out the popcorn, have you checked or reviewed the movie?
 
Yes, all movies receive a classification but these ratings do not tell the whole story. 

Kids-in-Mind is a great website/app that answers all your questions and provides detailed information about every movie. Movie reviews are based 0-10 scale for Sex & Nudity, Violence & Gore, and Profanity. It also provides information about every instance of these elements to give you a complete coverage of these negative aspects of each movie.

Instances of substance abuse and a list of discussion topics generated from the movie are also included plus the message that the movie conveys.

This comprehensive information about each movie certainly helps your movie choice but remember... the final decision on a movie's suitability for your kids and family is up to you.
Check out the website here.... and app information here.

Focus on the Family's Plugged In also provides information and reviews of movies that you might like to check out as well.... here. You can also download the app ...here
You can also find downloadable information and sheets for special Family Movie Nights ... here

TinyMe produce some great items for kids- personalised labels, bags, lunchpacks, family planners and more. If you've used their products before, you will also know that, not only do their products look good, they are great quality. The labels don't peel or fade despite regular washing and I love being able to create a character for the labels that really looks like my child.

They also produce a range of free downloadables for your personal use. With ANZAC Day approaching, take a few moments to check out their downloads here.
You'll find a poppy design to download and create to wear or to decorate your table, this ANZAC Day. You can also make an ANZAC wreath with the poppy design.

A recipe card for ANZAC biscuits is included. Commemorate ANZAC Day with your family, this year, in a special way with these little highlights from TinyMe.

The reThink Group has produced an iPhone, iPad and Android app for parents filled with tools and resources to help families develop faith in Christ and highlight Christian virtues.

You'll find Drive Time videos, Hang Time activities, Music and Songs and Meal Time discussion starters to remind parents to take time throughout the day, despite the business of life, to focus on these important values. You'll find Drive Time, Meal Time, Bath Time, Cuddle Time, Play Time and even Parent Time with blogs, podcasts and more. All activities, videos, discussions and resources will focus on one particular virtue each month.

The app also includes 2 age group areas- preschool & elementary so that you can switch between the two for different activities and resources.

You can find more information here.....

Clutter Rescue website and resources provides information, DIY courses, coaching, organising blog and more. The focus is on helping mothers move from busy to balanced, and these days it's the common cry from many families.

Life is endlessly busy and even school holidays seem jam-packed with activities and events. If you need some help with organising you home and your life, then check out the Clutter Rescue website and download the free app and make use of the tools:

• Ground rules to get started on their organising journey;
• Organising Challenges to work through at their own pace to help balance work and home, raise helpful children and find time to connect with the people that matter;
• Quick and effective organising tips to pick and choose from that suit them, their home and schedule;
• Clutter Rescue TV episodes with practical advice on how to organise specific areas of their home, schedule and children’s chores and routines;
• Organising Podcasts to keep them motivated and inspired on their organising journey;
• Articles and blog posts on all aspects of organising in the home to help them know what processes and products work for each space.

Picture storybooks have appeal for all ages. How often do you find even adults flicking through the pages of a beautifully illustrated storybook and grinning to themselves? I know I could spend many enjoyable hours doing so. A well-crafted picture storybook requires few words, but those chosen are just perfect!

I recently came across a couple of lists of picture storybooks that are worthwhile sharing- especially as one of the lists is for older kids.

The first list comes from Emily Laurel Harris and her DesignGossip blog.She features a list of great picture storybooks published 2012. You can read the entire post here..You'll find 'More', the story of a magpie who collects too much, 'Olivia and the fairy princess' who is sick of princesses, and  a delightful rhyming book called 'Sweet Dreams'.
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The second list highlights more sophisticated picture storybooks and books with 
a large number of illustrations for older readers. You can find the article here...

Sweet photos! And it's wonderful to record those precious moments and share with friends and family. 

But... when you're exhausted and suffering sleep deprivation, it's difficult to maintain the photos and notes about baby's early development. And it's even more difficult for subsequent children. 

So, check out these suggestions: 
Story of you is a free ipad app that makes it easy to upload your photos and add the details to create a unique story of your little one that can be shared and printed. The site includes a step by step demo, here, but really it seems very simple, just create, view, share and print. There are multiple design templates to choose from if desired and simple fill-it-in areas for noting special details or to journal milestones and special moments.

But if you'd rather a hands-on version but something can be created in less time than it takes to talk about it, check out My First Year Cards.

These cards are simple and easy to fill out and are a great way to record baby's first year. They come as a set of 5 for $20 from Strange Birdy Studios. The site states: 'We like to think of it as a uniquely fun “annual report.” No boring numbers or obscure data to decipher – just a great looking, interactive way to record the most important milestones of a baby’s first year.' 

The new year's calendars line the shelves and many have set new resolutions to become more organised. Organisation is not something relegated to business and office work but is really helpful for families, too, enabling families to do more than survive the deluge of family and school commitments, schedules and events, but instead to thrive. Help is at hand! There are some handy resources that you might like to consider to help you take control of your daily and weekly tasks and schedules... and some of these are listed below.

With less than a week before Christmas, almost every email I've received today has started with the words, 'It's not too late to order for Christmas!' But if you have downloaded the Christmas badge Countdown app, you will know exactly how many days, hours, minutes and seconds before Christmas.

Hopefully, all your gifts have been bought and wrapped and your Christmas cards signed and sent to friends and family. If you have missed someone, it's not too late to send them Christmas greetings. Dayspring cards have a wonderful selection of animated Christmas cards that you can email or schedule to be sent at a particular date and time.

Take a moment or two to sign up for a Christmas or Advent reading plan from YouVersion. You can even track the number and location of those reading the Christmas story across the world with the YouVersion Christmas Story tracker.. here.

Read the story of the Nativity to your family with the Very First Christmas story app ... see here  
A Charlie Brown Christmas is an interactive storybook classic that highlights the real meaning of Christmas.

For some Christmas fun with the family, check out some of these apps:
* Hidden Objects- Christmas update with 50 levels 
* Christmas Tree Maker pro- create the perfect Christmas tree
* Christmas maze game- 3D Christmas race experience
* Magic Puzzles Christmas- easy to operate with 4 levels of difficulty
* Player Piano Plus- the sheet music shows the notes to play as the piano lights up. Play along with a full accompaniment.