Here's my plan for you on purging the toys and then reorganizing what's left. I do this every 6 mo and put them in a bag to sell at my next local consignment sale. Remember a toy that goes unloved could be someone else's beloved toy.

Suggested Tools:
*garbage bags
*ziploc bags
*Sharpie
*wipes of some sort
*plastic bins of various sizes
*scotch tape

Tips to clearing out the toys:
*make different piles: toss, sell, keep and donate
*do this when children are not around - either nap time or bed time is the best
*if a piece is missing toss it - the liklihood of you finding the piece missing is slim
*if they haven't played with it or even remember it exists toss, donate or sell
*If you have puzzles that have no real home put them in a large storage ziploc bag and label the bag with what puzzle it is and how many pieces
*If the toy has several parts put it in a ziploc storage bag and label. Do the same if you intend to donate or sell.

Once you've decided what you're keeping toss the bag of trash, and put the bags to sell/donate away and out of site. Then wipe down the grimy toys so you can be sure that all starts out clean.

Tips for Organizing:
*Keep like toys together: for instance all small cars in one tub. All Barbies in another tub
*When stacking tubs and you want to be sure you have control of when they are removed put the heaviest on top. If you want the kids to be able to do it themselves lightest on top.
*Using a piece of scotch tape on the outside write what is in there on the tape. If you change the bin, you can remove the tape and rename the bin.
*Keep all craft supplies in bins that can be closed, and keep out of reach.

First timers: this can take a couple of hours, but I guarantee that the organization will make you feel a lot more in control in the chaos filled world of mommyhood.

And I have to say, all this work has definitely paid off. I'll admit that due to the new school year and changes in routine I may have skipped a day or two. And I feel it and see it when I skip it. Getting up 5 minutes earlier "to boot" gives me a wake-up jolt. And slathering on the creams is a luxury.

Where do I notice most? Well, the saggy baggies are still saggy, but the skin is firmer (less crepey and papery, if you will). The area between the boobs and my arms, the area that gets a bit flabby around the pits, that area is seriously gone. I SO wish I did this routine before summer, because, I look gooood in a bikini. In fact, the hus has announced that before our trip to Mexico this winter (you'll be hearing a lot about that soon) I'm in line for a few new bikinis. (and I wasn't even going to ask!)

I'll fill you in on the booty progress tomorrow.

Still loving all the creams, too. Its so quick and simple to apply and my body feels fantastic.

You can see more about this organization here: www.everybodywins.org . You can get involved or become a volunteer by checking to see if they have an affiliate near you.

Definitely a difference in my skin. Its smoother and looks more vibrant. Its true that when you feed your skin, it looks healthier and that's just what I'm doing.

My body... well, I'm not sure. I feel a difference. I feel more firm. No, there's not lift in the boobs (then again, its only been 2 weeks.), but they feel more firm. So I know something is working. The muscle pain in the rear areas I felt in the first week has subsided, but I still feel it during the reps. Again, knowledge that I'm doing something right.

So I realized that after 30 days (the end of bootcamp), I'll be up to 60 reps of each exercise. That seems extreme, but its doable. 2 weeks ago I would have said "no way", but adding only one rep a day doesn't make it too hard to jump that far.

So for anyone just checking in and reading my bootcamp "journal" for the first time, here's the intro. I started 2 weeks ago. You can read the entire series by starting in our August archives.

That's right. Today, while applying Shrink to Fit cream to my thighs, I glanced further down. Knees and below. Dry, chappy, ugh. Meanwhile, my thighs are tighter, shinier, healthier. So, yeah, I can say that after 2 weeks, I'm seeing a difference.

Of course, this realization made me look at the rest of my body for a check-up. Am I seeing a massive improvement after 2 weeks? Well... I can say for certain that my skin is definitely prettier. The crepey-papery dryness is, thankfully, gone. What I see is smooth, healthy looking skin. No luster. Nothing to post a picture of in a fashion magazine, but its healthier, and I like that.

As for those dry, chappy legs. I grabbed a bottle of generic cream from my medicine cabinet and put it on. I'll tell you what, there is a definite difference between the cheap creams and the Mama Mio. A big difference. Off to Mama Mio's site to see if they have a cream for my legs.

But later in the day, he was all about reading his Your Body book. And then came to me with a bunch of exercise suggestions... like bending my head forward and back. (Hey, he's no personal trainer!)

So, it occured to me that even though DH and I work out often, even though I take the kids to the gym for playtime and classes while I work out, they really never knew what "working out" is because they've never seen it. So now that I'm doing this 5 minutes of fitness in my room each day, they're becoming enlightened and introduced to something "new." And of all the new habits to pick up and participate in around them, this is a pretty good one to choose.

Of course, it also made me lose count.

Workouts are still going well. They're feeling easier this week. I'll admit that I almost got lazy today and skipped The Doggy, but remembered that I'm journaling it for you all and that kept me motivated. Its not that I have anything against The Doggy, its just that it was one exercise too long today.

Yesterday I skipped Body Buff, so I'm making up for it today. OMG, I L O V E the stuff. My skin is delightfully smooth. I also added MamaMio's Tummy Rub Butter to the skin for the past 2 days (I already had it). Its supposed to smooth out any cellulite. Hey, if it works, then I'm using it. (TMI, but I use it on my thighs... trying to get rid of the freshman 35 from, yikes!, 16 years ago.)

Post Workout
Today was day one with Body Buff. I haven't used an exfoliator in for ever and I LOVE how smooth it makes me! Makes the routine a little longer because I need to sandwich in a shower, but totally worth it.

Mama Mio's program includes 2 of their products (Boob Tube and Tummy Toner) in the Bootcamp for Boobs kit and 3 products (Body Buff, Stretch to Fit and Tummy Toner) in the Bootcamp for Butts Program. Just keeping these straight, and determining the order to use them may be difficult. Hmmm... maybe I should have focused on just one of the kits, rather than 2.

So, since I only use Body Buff 3 days a week (all the others are daily), I'm thinking I'm going to try to go with TTS (that's Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) to buff. Which means, I'm starting that part tomorrow.

Today, I'm just going to focus on fitting the routine in to the best of my ability.

Post-workout

Huh. Not too bad. While the program states that its so easy it can be done in the bathroom, I selected to move it into my walk-in. There's just something to be said about doing "The Doggy" in the bathroom, with the kids running in. I'd much rather do it in a bit more privacy.

So, its been decided that I'll do this every morning when I wake up. Prior to applying the luxurious creams this morning, I closed the closet door and performed, in this order: The Butt Raise (laying on your back with your knees bent, raise your butt (and back) into a bridge position, The Doggy (on your hands and knees, lift one leg in a right angle position 25 times, then the other), The Fly (lay on the back, arms up with bottles of water for weights, lower arms to the sides, then bring them back up) and, ouch! Push-Ups. The instructions say to do only 10 push ups, but I work out, so I thought I'd do more... um. No. Stuck wtih the 10.

Following, I applied the series of creams for both bootcamps. Can I just tell you I love the scents? They smell good alone AND together.

We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning.

Developed by Efua Baker, "London's Top Fitness Guru", and the Mama Mio founders, the series ties 5 Mama Mio skincare products (which smell delightful and feel sensational) to a quick-fit routine. They promise that by doing the program just 3-5 minutes a day for 30 days, you'll see a sleeker profile.

Buyers will have the option of selecting either Bootcamp for Boobs or Bootcamp for Butts. Being the type-A persona that I tend to be, I opted for both. That's right, I'm going for the full profile.

I invite you to follow me through the routine. For the next month over in our articles area, I'll share how the fitness routine is working for me, as well as any trials I have. And, hopefully, in just 30 days, I'll see a sleeker profile (sorry, no before and after shots here.)

I imagine I have the normal feelings that a mom has when her first baby starts school. It’s a big scary world out there and suddenly they are going to be part of it. Are they ready? Have we given them the skills they need?

It’s funny actually. I was at the pediatrician with the baby the other day and a mom was sitting in the waiting room with her first “baby,” except he was 18 now and getting ready for college. I asked her what was harder, watching him go off to college now, or those first days of kindergarten way back when. I’m not sure she ever really gave me an answer, but it was interesting comparing notes with her.

Not only do I have the typical worries though, I have the added worries of a mom with a child with special needs. Because Noah won’t be in a “normal” (boy do I hate that word sometimes) classroom, but in an emotional support classroom. And, everyone in his “posse*” will be new as we have to change wrap around agencies**. So not only will his support staff be new, but mine will as well.

We were actually pleasantly surprised when we first met with the elementary school staff for his Individualized Education Plan (IEP) last spring to find that they had an emotional support class in his home school and that it seemed like a good fit for Noah. An added bonus is that it is an all-day program (versus the half day program for the regular kindergarten program), which is what Noah is used to from daycare and pre-k.

It was a tough decision where to place him. We had a few choices actually, one of which was to keep him at the daycare he has been at for almost five years and attend their all-day kindergarten program. It would have been costly for us, but we thought keeping him in a familiar environment, and keeping his “posse” consistent would be easier for all of us. Easier maybe, but what we eventually recognized was it wouldn’t be the best thing for Noah.

Another option was to let him start in a regular kindergarten classroom with or without TSS support and see what happens. The school said they would support us if that was the decision we made. We didn’t think that would be the best for Noah either.

It made it a bit easier to make the decision to place him in the emotional support classroom when we met his teacher, Mrs. D. We were very impressed with her, and even more so when we spent time in her classroom. So far everyone we have talked to just raves about her.

We have done every thing we can to make sure he is ready. His IEP is in place, we have met extensively with the school principal, the school counselor, the occupational therapist, and his classroom teacher. We visited the classroom with Noah for a couple hours when school was still in session and all of us liked what we experienced

So, here we are, less than a month away from my first baby going off to school. It’s not what I had initially envisioned for him, but it is still kindergarten. My baby…a kindergartener. *sigh*

* what we call his team of support staff, such as his OT, behavioral therapist, TSS, etc.
** this is the agency that provides him with a behavior therapist and his TSS (one on one support)

Kristine not only writes here on Mommies with Style, but has her own blog, Mommy Needs Therapy , where she chronicles life, family, infertility, adoption and the attempt to keep her sanity.

So Dear Hubby, please get a job in Florida so I can pack these on play dates. Oh how much more entertaining those playdates would be with a couple of these stuffed in my diaper bag.

(I wonder if these'll stay good if I smuggle a few back to Philly?)