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Category Archives: Home Technology

Managing Family Projects with Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium

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With a background in project management I can say with experience that managing a family is the most challenging project I have ever taken on. Like me, other working parents I know don’t have the time to sit at a home office desk and calmly get things done. Kids are constantly on the move and have obligations both near and far. To be fully productive as a mom, I need to sneak in work time while my kids are at school, attending after school events or with a sitter. Every small pocket of time during the day is valuable. Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium and Outlook are the key tools I use to manage my family project plan, giving me the flexibility to be productive no matter where I am. I use Outlook.com but since Outlook is included in Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium, it is a seamless and unified solution!      
 

 
Check out the video that shows how I use the back seat of my minivan as one of my key productive spaces:

 

 

 

 

Where is your favorite place outside of the house to work on family tasks?

 

 

Other tips to have the perfect mobile office:

 

  • SkyDrive and WiFi: Because I store my documents on SkyDrive, I know that I can access them wherever I am working, minivan included. To make sure I have WiFi on the go, I have a mobile broadband device with a month to month mobile WiFi plan. SkyDrive always maintains the latest version of my documents in the cloud, so I don’t need to worry about version control.

 

  • SkyDrive Organization: I organize my documents with folders on SkyDrive. One of my folders is for homework including my kids’ math Excel spreadsheets, book report Word documents and history project PowerPoint presentations. Other folders have our family photos. The household management folder includes OneNote shopping lists, Word chore charts and household Excel spreadsheets to keep track of everything from home inventory to birthday party lists. In my writing folder I manage the Word files for my tech articles. Storing tech articles in Word using Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium and SkyDrive allows me to edit at home or on the go, and easily share a link to the document with my editors for document review. My public SkyDrive folder has pictures for my travel blogs that I share with my editor and in my blog posts.

 

 

  • Set up a digital family calendar system: Our family uses Outlook to help keep track of our events. I individually color code activities on our Outlook calendar for each of our children (and for us – their parents. My color is purple!). I not only include appointments and events on the calendar, I also include reminders. One great example is summer camp signups. Some popular camps fill up within 2 hours of when online sign ups begin. To stay on top of this crazy schedule, I add “sign up for summer camp” as a calendar item, timed for 30 minutes before online signups start (so I can get ready). Using Windows 8 and Office 365 Home Premium means that I will have all the current documents needed for the signup with me wherever I might be. I even put a reminder in to schedule time with friends, vacations and sneak in a date night with my husband. When I want to make sure family members have the dates on their calendar, I set up the event and invite them to it. Outlook also allows me to keep up with my friends by displaying their social updates next to their email. Emails can be organized by categories or in folders with specific rules.

 

 

  • Set up a mobile device cabinet or space: To make sure all the chargers and accessories stay organized and untangled, ready for their next adventure, each one has its own storage bag. For laptops and tablets, I buy a case that has enough room to put the chargers and accessories. I also put each charger and tech accessory in its own labeled storage bags. A Ziploc bag or pencil case will do but there is also a wide selection of storage bags available at office supply or storage stores. Yes, it may sound excessive, but it is a huge time saver and helps me keep things organized. Even when charging the device, the case is always close by. This simple process has greatly reduced time spent looking for lost accessories both at home and on the road.

 

 

How do you keep your digital files organized?

 

 

 

Creating Chore Lists Using Office 365 Home Premium

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Our busy family of five keeps organized as long as our schedule is managed and under control. A messy schedule results in a messy family life. I use technology to create a workflow and make sure everyone understands their responsibilities. Listed below are some of my tips on how to use technology to create a family workflow. To see my family using our family chore tech in action, check out this video:

 

 

 

 

1. Create a digital chore list: Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel from Office 365 Home Premium are two of my favorite tech tools for keeping the family on the straight and narrow. Staying on top of things is much easier when the family is organized and everyone knows their responsibilities. Using the Office 365 Home Premium child’s chore chart template, I can individually color everyone’s duties.

 

 

Office 365 Chore list Template

 

 

We put homework on the chore list because it was a central way to keep track of daily duties. They can then either use the mouse or the stylus on our touch screen Windows 8 devices to check chores off when complete so my husband and I know what has been completed and who needs a reminder. Because I store the chore list on SkyDrive, we can access it on any device (no need to print a chore list anymore – that always seems to get lost!). I use the Excel To-do lists to help me manage family projects.

 

 

Microsoft Excel Office 365 Home Premium To do list

 

 

There are so many great Office 365 Home Premium templates to choose from, I am always finding new ones to use to help organize my family life. I also store my Excel To-do lists on SkyDrive so I can access them across my devices, and update them wherever I am!

 

 

2. Tie completing chores to screen time or other activities: Some kids get their allowance for completing chores, but in our house we decided instead to use incentives. Our kids value screen time and other special activities, so we set up a system that allows them to earn time with electronics by doing chores. One of my kids enjoys Minecraft, so he knows to do his daily chore first and then check it off on the To-do list before he can play his game. My other young son likes to go to the Radio Shack hobby section and buy electrical supplies for experiments. He earns money to buy his supplies only after checking off his chores on the list.

 

 

Incentives for Chores

 

 

My teen, on the other hand, likes to choose his screen time depending on how he feels that day and how much homework he may have – so he knows to check off his chores before he socializes online or plays games on the family PC.

 

 

3. Add music to liven up the chores: Doing chores seemed to be a strain for my kids… until we suggested they listen to music while doing their work. All three kids lightened up and started dancing to the music while working. My teen can rock out to his favorite group, Green Day, while cleaning the dishes and one of my hip hop obsessed twin 10 year-old boys can listen to hip hop while he “hops” around mopping the floor after dinner. My other twin son prefers to vacuum, so he decided to listen to music on his MP3 player using earphones. We use a few different platforms to manage our family’s music from our Windows 8 PC. My favorite Windows 8 music apps are:

  • Slacker Radio: While I prefer my kids listen to the Slacker Radio Classical Music light station, they prefer classic “rock” instead. We all enjoy listening to the Slacker Radio festival channel. So even though we can’t go to festival like SXSW Music, that does not mean we can’t feel like we’re right there just by listening to the music on our PC!
  • iHeart Radio: If we feel like listening to the radio, we use the iHeart Radio app to listen to our favorite local stations.
  • Xbox Music: We enjoy Xbox music to stream songs on our Windows devices.
  • Shazam – We installed the Shazam app on our Windows devices to help identify the names of songs we don’t recognize.

 

 

How do you manage your family chore list and what incentives do you use?

 

 

 

HP Envy 23 Touchsmart AiO – Fun With Apps

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In my last HP Envy 23 TouchSmart All in One post I did the unboxing showing how easy it was to set up. As we started using it over the next few weeks, our family fell in love with having such an amazing touch screen computer in the family room. Of course I could not wait to take a look at the Windows 8 store to personalize my start up screen with Windows 8 apps.  Luckily the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart AiO comes with some basic Windows 8 apps loaded but there are many you can add depending on what your interests are. Some of the apps I installed are music apps including I heart Radio and Slacker Radio (rocking out thanks to the HP Beats Audio), games including Angry Birds Space, puzzles and even archery , watching movies on apps such as Netflix, search such as Bing, Educational apps such as Kahn Academy, news apps such as News Bento,  Reading books with apps such as Kindle. recipe apps such as Foodily and many apps to create content and communication.

 

 

In the video below I discussed some of the Windows 8 apps I was able to use because of the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart’s high resolution screen, 10 point touch, Beats Audio speakers and processing power that makes those Angry Birds fly. Or at least I would like to think that it is my Angry Birds skill that makes them fly!

 

 

My next fun projects to test out will be the camera app to make videos, photo apps to edit photos and using the Skype app with the HP TrueVision HD Webcam to video chat with the grandparents.  I was having so much fun I forgot about loading my social networking apps to take advantage of the people hub and calender apps.

 

Have you tried Windows 8 apps on a touchscreen yet? If so – which ones do you like? I am looking for new apps to play with on my HP Envy 23 Touchsmart All in One!

 

 

***Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a program on behalf of HP and received an ENVY 23 TouchSmart AiO as a thank you for participation. All my words are my own.

 

 

 

AT&T Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Holiday Deals

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The AT&T gift guide includes handsets, emerging devices, U-verse, Smart Controls and Accessories. The holidays are a great time to make gifts not only fun but practical (like upgrading to a smartphone for you or a loved one). Some of the handsets listed on their holiday guide are Nokia Lumia Smartphones, Sony Xperia TL, HTC smartphones and the LG Optimus G.  Some of the accessories listed on their gift guide are iFrogz Boost Plus Near Field Audio Speaker, iGrill Thermometer, Zip Wireless Activity Tracker, and the Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth Speaker (red is a nice holiday color!). I will update this post with more of their accessory and stocking stuffer recommendations.

 

 

CURRENT DEALS (from the press update):

  • $100 Off any Tablet (including iPad!):  Customers will receive $100 off any tablet purchased at an AT&T company owned store or online at www.att.com or at selected agents or retailers with a two-year data plan agreement. Details.
  • Windows 8 smartphone + Tablet: For a limited time, AT&T customers will receive a $100 off the ASUS VivoTab, after purchasing any Windows smartphone and an additional $100 off any tablet, purchased at an AT&T company owned store or online at www.att.com with a two-year data plan agreement. Details.
  • Samsung BOGO: For a limited time, customers who purchase a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, including the Galaxy Express, will receive up to $100 off a second connected Samsung device. Details.
  • Exclusively at att.com, AT&T will be ringing in the value with a series of revolving online promotions kicking off on Black Friday, Nov. 23 and continuing until the last chime on Cyber Monday, Nov. 26. Here are a few:


Black Friday Weekend: Nov. 24&25
HTC Vivid is just $.01
Rugby Smart is only $.99

 

Cyber Monday: Nov. 26 (begins 12:01 a.m. ET)

Some of AT&T’s most popular smartphones for just $.99 — the Pantech Renue, Motorola Atrix HD, HTC One X (gray only) Samsung Galaxy S II and the Nokia Lumia 900.

 

As with all deals, quantities are limited.

 

 Disclosure: This is a press update.

 

 

 

Sony Holiday Tech Deals and Gift Recommendations

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There are some great Sony products on sale during Black Friday. The Sony blog published Editor’s picks that help point out some great holiday gifts or the opportunity to give a gift to yourself.  Some items may be limited quantities. I bought my Sony Vaio laptop over 2 years ago and it is still going strong! The Sony Handycam I bought a few years ago is also going strong – and is the camera my son used to launch his YouTube channel with skating videos.

 

 

 

 

EDITOR’S PICK (from the Sony Blog):

  • Save $50 on the VAIO E Series 11 Laptop (SVE11125CXW) now $399.99 (excl tax): http://bit.ly/SJijGd
  • Save $100 on the VAIO T Series 13 Ultrabook (SVT13122CXS)now $599.99 (excl tax): http://bit.ly/WlrxY4
  • Save $400 on a 50″ (diag.) LED EX645 Internet TV(KDL50EX645) now $899.99: http://bit.ly/SoJLX6
  • Save $200 on award-winning NEX5NK/B now $499.99 (excl tax): http://bit.ly/OILpmn
  • Save over $340 on NEXF3K bundle, includes 2 lenses, 8GB mem card, and case, only $649.99 (over $300 in savings, excl tax): http://bit.ly/Wh1i4W
  • Save  $100 + get a free case and free 8GB memory card with the purchase of the Sony Alpha NEX-5R with 18-55mm Lens $649.99 (excl tax): http://bit.ly/Sd7NGa
  • Save up to $200 on select HD Handycam camcorders plus get free case, starting at $179.99: http://bit.ly/R1h0Ew 

 

 

I also received a press update on Playstation Hardware recommendations. Here is the information I was sent:


o   The 3G Vita offers an unparalleled combination of rich gaming and social connectivity delivering something for gamers of all ages and interests. It is the highest definition handheld gaming experience possible, featuring a stunning 5-inch OLED touchscreen, front touchscreen, a rear touch pad, dual analog sticks, motion sensors, and front and rear cameras, result in game experiences not possible on any other handheld gaming device.

o   PS3 offers a complete entertainment home entertainment hub comprising a Blu-ray player, HDMI output and 1080p resolution, 3D gaming capabilities, and an integrated Wi-Fi connection. The 320GB built-in hard drive offers plenty of storage for games, videos, and other content downloaded from PlayStation Network, as well as personal digital content such as music and photos.

o   PS3 owners also have free and unlimited access to PSN, the online entertainment hub for all PlayStation platforms, which delivers on-demand content like games, movies and TV shows, sports and music straight into your living room—unmatched entertainment value for the entire family.

 

NEW Playstation Software

  • Wonderbook: Book of Spells($39.99; $79.99 for bundle pack)
    • Brings exclusive content in immersive new ways by putting you at the heart of the action, using augmented reality technology to transform the world around you by tilting, rotating, or simply turning the pages to bring stories to life like never before
    • Reveals original content from J.K. Rowling – you’ll will be able to read and practice 20 spells, just like the students at Hogwarts
  • LittleBigPlanet Karting ($59.99)
    • Get behind the steering wheel and get ready to race through fun-filled tracks, discover unlockables in 3D environments, and battle in karting arenas filled with pick-up items and weaponry
  • Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale($59.99; also available on Vita for $39.99)
    • Play as your favorite PlayStation characters with all their signature moves, including Kratos, Fat Princess, PaRappa, Colonel Radec, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, Nathan Drake, Sackboy, Big Daddy, Heihachi Mishima, and Toro Inoue.
    • With Cross-Save and Cross-Play between PS3 and PS Vita you never have to stop playing
  • Sports Champions 2($59.99)
    • Features six events including five new games and an update to the popular Archery event from the first title. New games include Skiing, Tennis, Boxing, Golf, and Bowling
  • Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault($59.99)
    • Ratchet and Clank Return to the classic camera, weapons and third-person Ratchet gameplay, while adding a new base defense element.
    • Intense, strategic and “Ratchet-y” experience that combines classic Ratchet & Clank mechanics with MOBA-style head-to-head action

 

 

Vita Software

o   Local multiplayer via 2-4 players same screen, online gaming for up to 4 players, and more than 45 new story levels and games to play across 6 themes.

 

Disclosure: I am in a Sony Blogger program where I receive products to review. This is not a sponsored post, all of my words are my own.

 

Microsoft Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

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With Windows 8 out, the holiday sales are an exciting time to invest in a new Windows 8 device. My shopping strategy recommendation is to first decide what you need and then look into the sales – which go on throughout the holiday season. For those that want to get started, Microsoft has a blog post that summarizes the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. It is important to note that many sales have limited quantities. But I also find that new sales happen so other opportunities will present themselves.

 

Some of the key sales from the blog post are:

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals from Dell: Dell’s Black Friday deals here,  Cyber Monday deals here.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals from HP:  HP’s Black Friday deals here,  HP’s Cyber Monday deals here and at @HPdeals on Twitter.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals from Lenovo: You’ll find Lenovo’s Black Friday deals here,  Cyber Monday deals here  and on Twitter at @lenovo , @lenovodeals.

Black Friday Deals from Toshiba: · Find great prices on Toshiba laptops here running Thursday 11/22 6pm PST and through Monday evening 11/26.

I found great Black Friday Deals from Sony at their website.

 

The Microsoft Website has the XBox bundle deals listed, including Xbox 360 4 GB Kinect Sports Dance Central Bundle.

 

HP Black Friday and Holiday Tech Deals

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The press release just came out for HP Holiday offerings. The first step as I mention in my shopping strategy post is to decide what your families needs are, what devices have the features to fit those needs and then investigate what sales are available.  It is also important to understand that many sales are only “while supplies last”. Here are some of the sale and holiday recommendations from the HP press release:

 

 

BLACK FRIDAY:

 

–Save $150 on the Windowws 8 Touchscreen HP ENVY 20 TouchSmart All-in-One Desktop PC, now only $649.

–Save 40% on Photosmart 6520 e-All-in-One Printer. Only $89.99 after a $60 savings.

–Save 41% on Officejet 6700 e-All-in-One Printer. Only $99.99 after a $70 savings.

 

CYBER MONDAY:
Receive a free gift valued at $99 with an PC purchase at HPShopping.com (while supplies last).  Plus, great deals on PCs including:
–HP ENVY Ultrabook 4t @ $599.99 (Everyday Price is $729.99)
$130 Savings on PC
–HP Pavilion 23-b030z All-in-One Desktop PC @ $499 (Everyday PC price is $599)
$100 Savings on PC

 

Here are some of their recommendations for those that need the flexibility of a laptop:

  • “The HP ENVY x2 is an ultraportable and ultrathin hybrid PC weighing a sleek 3.1 pounds,(8) and offering the advantages of two devices in one. The HP ENVY x2 has a detachable screen that becomes a full tablet when separated from the keyboard via a seamless magnetic latch, transitioning from a productive workspace to entertainment powerhouse. Starting at $849.99. A video tour of the inventive HP ENVY x2 is available at HP’s TheNextBench.com.
  • The HP ENVY SpectreXT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ features an all-metal design and 15.6-inch diagonal multitouch Radiance Full HD(9) display with IPS technology, making it the ideal mobile companion for those who seek sophistication and substance. The HP SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook is HP’s first notebook with Intel® Thunderbolt technology(10) for blazing-fast transfer of music, movies and data to external devices. Starting at $1,399.99.
  • The HP ENVY Touchsmart Ultrabook 4 delivers powerful performance in an eye-catching metal design that measures 23 mm thin and weighs 4.77 pounds.(8) The HP ENVY Touchsmart Ultrabook 4 features a 14-inch multitouch HD(9) display, a booming subwoofer with Beats Audio and optional AMD graphics with 2 GB of graphics memory. Starting at $799.99.”

 

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. This is a update from a press release I received.

 

Dell Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Holiday Tech Deals

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Here is the holiday (press) information I received from Dell on the Black Friday Deals. As I said in my first post, there will be deals all throughout the holidays so the most important step for technology shopping is choosing what fits with your technology need then finding a deal on those items. It is also important to understand that many holiday deals are “while supplies last”.

Dell has a Black Friday  www.dell.com/blackfriday and CyberMonday www.dell.comn/cybermonday websites. One pick is the XPS 13 which will start at $799 on dell.com/blackfriday, starting at 12:00am CST 11/23, for limited time and quantity.  There will also be three-hour door busters at 12am EST on Friday, November 23 on systems such as XPS 13 will be offered for $799, Inspiron 14z laptop is available for $299.99, Inspiron 660s on sale for $249.99 and Inspire One 20 all-in-one for $399.  Dell also has the Dell’s Holiday Catalogue.

 

 

Black Friday details from Dell (per their email with press info):

Dell has a new line of Windows 8 devices and Dell’s premium XPS-branded devices: systems in an array of sizes:  XPS 12, XPS 13, XPS 14, XPS 15, including our newest, fabulous XPS One 27 All-in-One.

 

More budget friendly options for students and families can be found with Dell’s Inspiron products. Latest includes the Inspiron 14z and 15z Ultrabooks.

 

The line for gamers is the  Alienware M14x for  powerful gaming performance in a portable, 14-inch form factor, while the Alienware M17x, M18x or X51 mini gaming desktops are customizable entertainment centers.

Continue reading →

 

Holiday Shopping Strategy: Black Friday, Cyber Monday – Take It Easy!

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It is Thanksgiving day and while many are settling into a day of socializing and eating – there are also those that are preparing to shop for holiday deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

 

This time of the year I like to remind my readers that the holiday deals will be going on throughout the holiday season (and into New Years – where the deals are very good). Choose the holiday first, choose to socialize or just relax with family and friends. If you want to shop, realize that there are both deals at the stores and online. Here are TechMama’s Tips for shopping this holiday season:

 

Last year I tracked the pricing and realized that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not the only days to get deals – I found the best deals around New Years and beyond. For holiday gifts I wrote an “IOU” for a gaming entertainment center, which allowed me to wait until I found the right price without rushing to get it before the holiday.

 

  • FIRST FIGURE OUT WHAT TECH YOU NEED: In my book “My Parent Plan” I talk about using professional project planning techniques for making a plan for your family. One area I mention in this book is the process of defining your families needs. This is very important when it comes to technology shopping. So DON’T just buy the cheapest computer, TV, tablet or other tech devices – buy what you need and fits your workflow.  For example, If you are looking for a smartphone, don’t just buy one that all your friends have – buy one that has the features you need and that you find easy to use on the go. If you are buying a TV, realize that you will probably want to connect to the internet so consider getting a smart TV.  If you want to get your child a tablet and see one on sale – it is important to first decide what features you need in a tablet not only this year but moving forward. If they are young, then children’s tablets are a great fit for the parental controls and child friendly apps that are included. But my 9 year olds are beyond using a tablet as a toy, they need one that they can read eBooks, listen to audio books and do other things that standard tablets offer. If you see a computer on sale, check to make sure it has the features you not only need now – but one that you can use for a few years.  At the same time, don’t be enticed by what is the “coolest gadget” when really you just need a more functional device.

 

 

  • Inspire your kids to learn the meaning of giving by putting some of that holiday money into charities such as Red Cross. Or look towards the future and give the gift of investing in a college fund for your children (and tell family to do that as well). I found more ideas in a Mashable post about 12 Holiday Gifts that Give Back (such as Blanket America).

 

 

 

I will be posting with the same “holiday sale” image throughout the weekend (in tech shopping) with some of the press releases I received with holiday tech deals. So check back to this post for a summary after the weekend is over.

 

Are you Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping or socializing this Thanksgiving weekend?

 

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. It is just my personal advice to hopefully inspire people to choose a shopping strategy that allows them to enjoy the weekend as well!

 

 

 

Book Is Out: My Parent Plan – How to Create a Family Project Plan

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**New version of My Parent Plan coming out May 30 2013 while I will be at the Book Expo of America in New York City. Please check back May 30 for info on the UPDATED VERSION!

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While I’m known today as “TechMama“, discussing family technology across social media platforms, I started my career (before kids and blogging) in Corporate Finance, Computer Auditing, Computer Programming and then Technical Project Management at a top consulting firm. After marrying TechDad and having my first child, I quickly realized that while I had mastered the art of managing technology projects, managing a family was the toughest – yet best – challenge of all.

 

Four years later, my son was joined by twin brothers. Years of parental trial and error mixed with sleep deprivation brought the realization that when I applied professional project planning concepts to parenting – the process worked. While there are always surprises with parenting, using professional project planning concepts helped me lay out a path I could use to understand my family’s needs in advance and create a flexible plan.

 

My family plan helped keep the family on track and, just as important, helped me, the mama, enjoy motherhood without getting too bogged down in the logistics. For example, instead of just buying the coolest or latest technology gadget, I first documented what features our family needed and how the technology would be used – then purchased the technology that fit with our needs and budget. This helped me make educated buying decisions that would benefit the boys instead of spontaneous purchases that would not hold up over the long haul.

 

Through my experiences, I hope to help parents and families create their own parent plan based on their individual family’s needs and personalities. My book, called “My Parent Plan” , will help you learn to apply project management concepts for parenting, the toughest but best project you will ever have!

 

At the end of my book I have a link to the growing “My Parent Plan” online resources section.  I will also be reaching out to my community (yes, that is you) to address your questions, share your family project planning tips and generate the online knowledge and support to complement your own IRL (In Real Life) support system.

 

 

My Parent Plan by Beth Blecherman is available now (soft cover) on Amazon. The Kindle and updated version will be out by May 2013 when I will be the the NYC Book Fair.  Do you have any parent “project plan” tips or challenges to share? What online sites do you use as resources for information? Please share so I can add them to the online resource section I am developing.

 

*Big Thanks to Alicia Dunams – Best Seller In A Weekend (the program that helped me make a plan to create this book). That is a plan and process that works!