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This giveaway is part of our Three Gs For The Holidays event. Visit the announcement post to get involved in other fun giveaways, get shopping ideas from our Gift Guide, and learn how you can help children in need this holiday season!

I’ll admit that I have collected maybe one too many pairs of shoes. It’s not like I’m a shopaholic, I just take good care of my stuff and never get rid of it. Now that Jayden wears shoes, I’ve been having the urge to grab every cute pair of shoes for him each chance that I get. I mean come on, who could resist teeny little bite sized shoes? They are THAT much cuter! In the next couple of years I see Jayden’s collection of shoes becoming ridiculously large. He’s going to need a way of keeping his shoes neatly organized without “taking up much space”.

The Rakkiddo is an innovative shoe organizing wheel on wheels! How cool is that? Usually when I think of shoe storage, I envision over the door shoe racks or cubbyholes. The Rakkiddo keeps shoes off the floor, neatly tucked into one compact spot. The Rakkiddo houses 20 pairs of childrens shoes depending on the type and size of shoe. The expandable shoe pockets adjust to fit up to a girls size 4, boys size 5, and a womens size 6.5. Now Just imagine how many infant and toddler shoes can fit in this baby! I’m guessing 40 or more, but what tot has that many pairs of shoes besides those of celebs?

We’re giving away one Rakkiddo shoe organizing wheel!

How To Enter

There are a total of 5 ways you can enter this giveaway, and everyone is eligible! You can enter using as many methods listed below as you’d like. Each method of entry is worth 1 entry. Here is how you can enter:

1. Visit the Rakkiddo page. Then, in the comments below, let me know how you’d benefit from having a Rakkiddo in your home as well as which color you’d like to win.

2. Write a post on your blog about this giveaway. You can write whatever you’d like or you can copy and paste the text provided by us below. Be sure to let us know in the comments that you’ve done this by leaving a direct link to your post.

3. Put our Three Gs For The Holidays button in your blog’s sidebar. Be sure to let us know in the comments that you’ve done this.

<a href="http://mommydaddyblog.com/2008/11/18/three-gs-for-the-holidays" title="Three Gs For The Holidays At Mommy Daddy Blog!" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/sheeniebabie/mdbholidaygiftguidebutton.gif" border="0" alt="Three Gs For The Holidays At Mommy Daddy Blog!" title="Win A Rakkiddo Shoe Organizing Wheel! *OVER* mommydaddyblog.com" /></a>

4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. You can write whatever you’d like or you can copy and paste the text provided by us below. Be sure to let us know in the comments that you’ve done this by including a direct link to your tweet (how to link directly to a tweet).

5. Subscribe to receive e-mail updates so we can keep you updated on future happenings here at Mommy Daddy Blog. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. Be sure to let us know that you’ve done this (or if you are already subscribed to receive e-mail updates from us) in the comments using the same e-mail address you subscribed with.

This giveaway, along with all other Three Gs For The Holidays giveaways, will end on December 8th 14th!

Special thanks to Rakku Designs for making this giveaway possible!

We’d like to help out those who are less fortunate this holiday season, so we’ll be donating some toys to Toys For Tots! But, since there’s only so much we can do, we encourage you to make a donation also. You can donate toys or cash to Toys For Tots, at your nearest Toys For Tots drop-off location. You can also donate a cash gift, online via credit/debit card by visiting the Toys For Tots Online Donation page, or by texting “TOY” to 90999 using your cell phone. With your help, there’s no limit to the amount of smiles we can put on childrens’ faces this year!

Once you become a new parent you’ll notice that your to-do list seems to grow from 5 to 500, with more and more tasks piling up and less and less tasks getting done. Today I came across an old to-do list I had from before Jayden arrived and I couldn’t believe how much I was able to get done. That’s because I had more time on my hands to complete tasks back then. Now it’s all about working around Jayden’s schedule, and because of that my current to-do list is a mile long.

About a couple of weeks ago, I came across this post by Lisa C where she explained how she has a hard time with her to-do list also. And she’s not the only one, as a few other people left comments saying the same thing. So I want to share some tips on creating, managing, and completing a to-do list. These are tips I learned myself over the past couple of years. They may not work for everyone, but if I help even just one person better manage their to-do list, then my goal will be met.

To clarify, this post won’t be so much about how to get a to-do list done when you have children to look after; it’s going to be about simply getting a to-do list done period. Getting a to-do list done when you have children to worry about may be something I’ll touch on in the future… that is, once I learn how it’s done!

Creating Your To-Do List

The first step to managing a to-do list is of course creating one, and there’s two ways to do that. There’s the tradition way, where a list of tasks that need to be done are written down on a piece of paper and tacked on a bulletin board or a refrigerator. And there’s the modern way, where the to-do list is stored on a computer by way of desktop or web application. Personally, I use both.

My main to-do list I keep stored on the desktop of my laptop. I use Rainlendar, which is a free desktop application that includes a calendar to keep track of events and a to-do list to keep track of tasks. I have been using Rainlendar for over two years now, and it has worked wonders with helping me keep tasks and events organized. I keep it visible on my desktop so it’s the first thing I see when I turn on my laptop in the morning.

My secondary to-do list I keep on a dry erase board on my refrigerator. I only put urgent tasks that need be done there. This way, if something ever happens to my laptop, I still know the important tasks that need to be completed. And it also helps that I eat about 50 times a day, so I’m reminded of these tasks every time.

Before I continue, I want to say that I prefer digital (computer, internet, cell phone, etc.) based to-do lists over traditional handwritten to-do lists. The benefits of digital to-do lists far outweigh the benefits of handwritten to-do lists, most notably them being way easier to manage and organize. Other people may beg to differ, but that’s just my personal opinion.

Although I personally recommend Rainlendar, there are many other desktop-based and web-based applications that can help you manage your to-do list. Here are some free web-based to-do list managers:

Ta-da List
voo2do
Toodledo
Jott
Remember The Milk

And here are some free desktop-based to-do list managers:

Swift To-Do List Lite (Windows)
Portable Task List (Windows)
Task List (Windows)
ToDo Reminder (Windows)
Anxiety (Mac)

(I haven’t used any of these to-do list managers, so I can’t personally vouch for them.)

Once you have your blank to-do list in front of you, you’re ready to start listing the tasks that need to be completed. List every single task you can think of, no matter how urgent or important. It doesn’t matter what order they’re in right now, just focus on getting every undone task written down. Once you have all of your tasks listed, you’re ready to start managing your to-do list.

Managing Your To-Do List

Now that you have all of your tasks written down, it’s time to start organizing them. I organize my to-do list in two ways; first by group, then by priority.

Group like tasks together. I organize all of my tasks into two groups; Life and Computer. Tasks dealing with everyday life such as mailing a package, making a phone call, and changing a tire on the car, go in the Life group. Tasks dealing with my computer such as organizing my desktop, sending an e-mail, and finishing a post, go in the Computer group. I then take it a step further by grouping like tasks together within each group. For example, if I have to go to the bank and go to the post office, I’ll put those two tasks one after the other depending on priority. That way I can knock out these two tasks while I’m out, instead of going out to complete one task, coming back home, then having to go back out later to complete the second task.

Prioritize; most important tasks first, least important tasks last. Once I have my tasks separated into groups, I prioritize them by the amount of time by which I want/need to complete them. I put tasks that I want to complete within the next 24 hours first, then the tasks that I want to complete within the next few days, then the next week, next two weeks, and so on. I even have tasks I give myself a year to complete. I call these tasks the long-term tasks because they’re not really urgent or important and typically take quite a bit of time, work, and/or money to complete. I work at these tasks little by little whenever I don’t have urgent tasks to complete.

Now that you’ve organized your to-do list, it’s time for the final and most important step!

Completing Your To-Do List

Now it’s time for the (seemingly) hard part! You’ve got your tasks organized and looking all pretty, but now it’s time to eliminate them! I was proud the first time I organized all of the tasks on my to-do list. I was even prouder when my to-do was empty! So now let’s work on getting yours empty!

Pick 3, and I’m not talking about the lotto! One mistake I used to make is I’d look at my to-do list of 50+ unfinished tasks and I’d start to feel overwhelmed. I felt that there was so much to do and so little time. That ultimately led to procrastination, which led to nothing on my to-do list getting done. Now I just pick 3 tasks that I want to complete for the day and don’t worry about the rest. I focus only on these 3 tasks and getting them done for the day. If I finish these 3 tasks before the day is over, I either relax for the rest of the day, reward myself in some way, or move on to another set of 3 tasks. If I don’t finish these 3 tasks before the day is over, I simply pick up where I left off the next day. This way, I don’t feel overwhelmed because I see only 3 tasks needing to be done for the day instead of 50. You may want to give yourself more or less tasks to complete for the day, depending on how busy your life is and the nature of your incomplete tasks. At the beginning of each day, go over your to-do list and choose which 3 tasks you want to complete for the day. By doing this, you can plan and prepare yourself for the day ahead.

Create a “done list”. Another mistake I used to make is whenever I’d complete a task, I’d delete it, and it was never to be seen again. You’d think that was a good thing, but now what do I have? A list of more tasks that need to be completed. So what I did was create a “done list” where I list all of the tasks that I have completed. Whenever I feel as if I have a lot to do, I open my done list and bask in all of the completed tasks. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and motivation to make that list grow bigger.

So what do you think? Could these tips help you better manage your to-do list? Do you already use some of these methods? What are some different methods you use to manage your to-do list and complete daily tasks?

Don’t worry. This is not going to be another post about how you need to buy baskets to put inside your baby’s cupboards to contain his socks and then baskets to put on the closet shelves to hold her jackets and then more baskets for the floor to hold the dirty laundry. Nor is it going to be a post telling you that you don’t need that rocker or glider or crib or basket, because after all babies are simple creatures and we only need three diapers and a lambskin throw to take care of them. This is not going to be a post about (organizing) stuff.

I can’t tell you how to organize your dwelling because, after all, I don’t know you. I don’t know if you live in a mansion, an apartment, a shack or a house. (Anyone else remember the game MASH?) I can’t tell you how to organize your possessions because I don’t know what you possess!

This is a post about (organizing) life.

As a mom to three young kids, with a busy family schedule not to mention interests of my own, I use the following principles to help guide my life. Things aren’t always sunshine and roses, good mama and happy kids days. But the ‘M’ rules do help me get things done, enjoy my children and maintain a semblance of sanity. I find that if each day has a bit of each of the ‘M’ rules, I feel balanced and successful in all that I do.

Morning time or Midnight time Are you an early bird or a night owl? Using these two distinct blocks of time well and appropriately can will help you be more productive. I like to get up early, before my children, so I have time to wake up and face the day. This is the perfect moment, for me, to unload the dishwasher or bring in or hang up the laundry. I’m not quite awake enough yet to attack my inbox or work on my blog, so mindless tasks fit the bill. In fact, if I don’t do these chores then, the chance of them getting done is much lower. After my kids go to bed is when I’m most creative. I do design work, polish the posts that I’ve been mentally writing all day long. I feel resentful if I have to use this time for mundane routine tasks. Knowing my strengths helps me use them wisely, and use my time well.

Me time Remember you? That you who existed before this current incarnation? That other you does exist and you need to take time to nourish it. To do so, I try to do something that is a real break from my normal activities, even if it’s just for fifteen minutes. For example, my kids are all taking their midday nap so it’s the perfect time for me time. I lay on the couch for a while and read a book, a book that I’ve read a thousand times before, but that seems like an old friend. It could be listening to music, reading, exercising, crafting, DIY- whatever replenishes You. Doing something for myself, myself and no one else is a necessary part of my day.

Mama time In the same way that I need to take time to take care of myself, I need to take the time to take care of my kids. I’m not talking about diaper changes and serving meals, but taking the time to really focus on them, to give them my undivided attention. This can be difficult to do- I work at home, so I don’t really have a separation between the two activities. I also have three children so giving them each my undivided attention can be tricky. But they need and deserve Mama time every day, as do I. Sometimes we work on stories together, or we read books. My two oldest are into drawing at the moment, so we often draw together. Often I just go and sit in their room with them while they play and just by being there, they integrate me into their imaginary worlds.

Multi-tasking time There often aren’t enough hours in the day. No, strike that: there are never enough hours in the day. So the final, and perhaps most important, ‘M’ rule is multi-tasking time. Why do one thing when you can do two? An often sited example is cleaning the bathroom while the kids are in the bath. You could also take advantage of your commuting time if you commute by public transport or help your child practice their ABCs with refrigerator magnets while you are cooking dinner. I sometimes fold laundry on the rug while the baby is playing nearby. I’m sure that you have your multi-tasking time tricks as well.

You might say that it’s easier said than done to follow all these rules, but I find that they help me keep my life and family in balance. And in my house, a cranky mama quickly leads to cranky kids. I don’t like living my life that way- I’m sure you don’t either.

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Kelly is an American who has been living in France since 2000. A mom to three young kids, she is also a writer and a crafter (check out her Etsy shop). As if that weren’t enough, she’s going to be a full time student getting her MS in Marketing as of September 2008! You can follow her journey at Almost Frugal.

Enjoy this guest post while I try to dig myself out of overwhelment. Is that a word?

I think most of us would agree that procrastination is probably the biggest waster of time that there is. Quite often the job takes less time than the procrastination itself.

The problem with constant procrastination is because it creates a psychological mountain out of a mole hill, by the time we start the task we are probably feeling stressed and uptight. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies as we do not even recognize we are suffering from this time stealing habit.

Alongside procrastination there is the busy mentality we buy into. Let’s face it there is a sort of kudos in today’s world about having so much to do. It makes us feel important and needed. What is also interesting is that the definition of one persons business compared to another can be quite different.

Having spoken to lots of people and done a little research on the subject here are some ideas to eliminate the procrastination habit, which in turn may help to free up some precious time.

1. Get into the habit of keeping a daily “To Do List”. That way you are less likely to forget something that is urgent and important.

2. Those of us that procrastinate often have an unrealistic sense of time. We either start believing that a project will take forever. (So we never can find the time to start it). Alternatively, we do not allow enough time to get the task completed comfortably. Remember even five minutes is enough time to complete something. This could be some filing at work or sorting out the cutlery cupboard or making a telephone call.

3. If you are finding “starting” the task difficult - remember not all tasks need to be started at the “beginning”. If it is a difficult letter or a report which needs your attention - make a start and go back to the beginning later.

4. Try to action things as they appear, this way you will end up with less of a backlog.

5. Are you making the task more difficult? Sometimes there is a simpler, quicker solution. Try to be flexible in how you approach tasks. Think delegate, fake not bake. Not so much finite detail. Most importantly stop aiming at perfection.

6. If there are particular types of projects you consistently procrastinate over, think about why. It could be that the information you need is not conveniently accessible. Or maybe there is an emotional reason for your reluctance to action your task or project e.g. confidence.

7. If you can not establish why you continually procrastinate over a particular task. Ask yourself if you really want or need to do it.

8. Schedule for problems and setbacks. By expecting problems and difficulties you may find yourself motivated to start the project earlier.

9. Plan a reason to motivate yourself into action. If it is a home based activity that you have not managed to get around to. Invite friends around and use this as your motivation to complete the tasks before their visit.

10. Tell someone else your deadline and give permission for them to remind you.

11. Listen to your moods. Use your energy to get tasks completed. For example gardening, washing the floor are great when you are frustrated or angry. Feeling overwhelmed - have a clearout.

12. Be opportunistic. Utilize “dead” time. If someone is running late, is there a phone call you can make. What five minute task can you do while you are waiting. Not only will you be able to tick something off your to do list you are less likely to be irritated by their lateness.

Diana Groves is the Editor of the Website Help For Busy Mums. We aim to provide time saving tips and simple solutions for busy mums. Visit us and join our community.