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Happy Family: Ways to Make Your Home Peaceful and Orderly

AboutOne.com — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:00:31 +0000

As a mother of five who works from home, there’s one thing I know for sure: aiming for a flawlessly clean and orderly family life is a recipe for stress and disappointment for everyone in the family. Kids can’t thrive in a sterile, rigid environment—they need the freedom to play and experiment and just relax. And trying to keep everything perfect all the time will drive a mom nuts.

On the other hand, I don’t want any of my relatives to stage an intervention on a reality-TV show because I keep losing my toddler in a pile of papers, either. I find that a reasonably neat, organized, smoothly-run home makes everyone feel more peaceful and happy. Fortunately, it is possible to strike a happy medium and say “yes” to mess while still maintaining order.

Tips for Maintaining Order

Never leave a room without making it better

This was one of my mom’s guiding principles and one that has stayed with me because it works so well. If you get in the habit of always doing something to make a room better before you leave it—whether it’s picking those throw pillows up off the floor or grabbing an empty glass to return to the kitchen—you’ll do a lot of tidying without really thinking about it and the mess won’t have as much chance to pile up and overwhelm you. In my book, The Happiest Mom: 10 Secrets To Enjoying Motherhood, I give specific ideas about small things you can do effortlessly to help your house feel cleaner and calmer.

Establish a time and place for everything

Flexible routines (not necessarily strict schedules) and “homes” for all of our possessions are the backbones of peaceful, orderly family life. If your child always knows, for example, that writing utensils are in the right-hand desk drawer (and there’s a functional sharpener there, too) you won’t have to run madly around the house trying to find a pencil so he or she can start his homework. Similarly, if clearing the table and loading the dishwasher is a customary and reliable part of your after-dinner routine, everyone in the family will get used to it and you’ll have to do less, uh, nagging. SimpleMom has a great list of free downloadable tools you can use to help you decide who does what, and when.

Streamline and simplify

When we’re busy caring for kids—and, let’s face it, shuttling them around—who has time for complicated systems? Figure out simple calendar and filing systems that work for you and support your family’s lifestyle. There are a variety of tools that can help you keep things simple: for example, since I’m often on the go with my five kids, I like how AboutOne allows me to access scanned documents and files, birthdates, health insurance info, and other important information from my laptop or smartphone wherever I happen to be.

These three tips will help you make your home more peaceful and orderly…without being a perfectionist fun-killer. And that’s a recipe for happy family life.

What are ways that help you maintain the order and peace in your house?

Meagan Francis is the mom of five kids ages toddler to teen, and author of The Happiest Mom: 10 Secrets To Enjoying Motherhood. Meagan blogs about motherhood, family life, home and more at TheHappiestMom.com, and really believes that you can use the word “happy” and “mother” in the same sentence.

AboutOne.com is an online family management system that provides ONE place to safely store and manage memories and household information, including education, health, possession, contact records and more. The system allows you to capture and organize all the information you need to apply for college, and automatically formats that information in a helpful education summary report.

No Name-Calling Week: How to Teach Kids to Use Words Appropriately

Lori — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:00:35 +0000

Name calling not only affects our children, it affects siblings, parents, and adults too. That is right! Adults are guilty in their relationships as well. It is time to set an example for our children and stop the cycle. Remember when your mother used to say “sticks and stones can break your bones, words will never hurt you.” WRONG! Words can hurt, sometimes even as badly. In honor of proving that out-of-date childhood adage incorrect, the week of January 24th-28th has been set aside as No Name-Calling Week in schools across the country. Check out these great children’s book titles that can help you reinforce this important message at home and maybe even help you as well.

3 Books That Reinforce the Concept of No Name Calling

1. Bullies Never Win by Margery Cuyler

This easy-to-relate-to children’s book tells the tale of Brenda Bailey, a bully who persistently and relentlessly taunts and teases her classmate, Jessica. Cuyler creates an accurate portrayal of how targets like Jessica typically respond to bullying, including experiencing anxiety, losing sleep, quitting sports, changing their style of dress, and fearing asking for help. She also uses Jessica to show young readers that the best way to handle bullies is to stand up to them in assertive ways. Jessica’s bold “Toothpicks may be thin, but bullies never win,” is a triumphant moment of self-defense that can inspire and embolden elementary school-aged readers.

2. My Secret Bully by Trudi Ludwig

My Secret Bully, written for tween readers, lifts the lid off of the hidden culture of relational aggression, otherwise known as girl bullying. It tells the story of Monica and Katie—two girls who have been friends since Kindergarten, but who now are facing a rift in their relationship, as Katie begins to exclude and embarrass her former friend in front of their other classmates. In tackling this painful subject of the ways in which some girls use relationships as weapons, Ludwig provides an accurate and not-often-addressed portrait of a young girl’s anguish at the hands of a frenemy. My Secret Bully is not a light-hearted portrayal of bullying, nor does it offer pat answers. But it does address an important issue in the lives of upper elementary and middle school-aged girls and can serve as a great springboard for discussions with parents.

3. One by Kathryn Otoshi

You know how sometimes a book comes along that you just know you will hold on to long after your child is done with it? Borrowing it from the Library will not do—you have to own it and you are certain it will be a top gift pick for any of your Mom friends. For me, that book is this one! Part of the magic of One is the significance of its message, conveyed in the simplest of terms and illustrations. This multi-award winner is one of the best books I’ve read (and I’ve read a LOT!) on the subject of the power that one child can have to change a bullying situation and to stand up for themselves in a way that garners self-respect and promotes dignity for all.

Additional information, suggested resources, and engaging discussion ideas to use during No Name-Calling Week can be found online at www.nonamecallingweek.org.

Signe Whitson, LSW is a family therapist and an adviser on how to handle passive aggressive behavior in our day to day lives. She has co-authored the book, “The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive Aggressive Behavior in Families, Schools and Workplaces“, a self help book for those subjected to this type of behavior. Her partnership with My Baby Clothes has afforded her more exposure to the parenting community. New baby on the way? Check out their selection of tutus and matching baby headbands perfect for every angel.

Meal Planning 101

Lolli — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:10 +0000

How often are you as a mom asked the question, “What’s for dinner?”

If your house is anything like mine, the answer to that question is probably, “Way more often than I’d like.” Can you relate?

I actually enjoy cooking quite a bit. But I like cooking on my schedule, and not under pressure. And throwing something together at the last minute with hungry kids clamoring for another snack is certainly what I call pressure.

One of the most frequently shared tips I pass on to fellow moms to help them manage dinner time (and the budget, too!) is to develop some kind of meal planning routine.

Ten Reasons to Plan Your Meals in Advance

Have you ever debated about whether or not to plan your meals in advance? Here’s 10 reasons why you should start meal planning:

You’ll know exactly what I need to buy at the grocery store, which helps avoid buying unnecessary items.
Buying only what you need, helps you spend less.
You’ll always know the answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?”
No more 5:30 headaches trying to figure out what you’re in the mood to prepare.
You’ll find that you make fewer trips to the grocery store.
You’ll waste fewer ingredients bought and never used.
You’ll be less likely to eat out when meals have been planned ahead.
You’ll eat healthier. Meals tend to be more well balanced when prepared in advance and eaten at home.
You’ll be more likely to include important things like veggies, fiber, etc. when you planned ahead.
And the most enticing reason? Cooking is more enjoyable when there’s less stress!

Meal Planning Methods

Implementing a meal planning routine is easiest when you find one that fits your family, your time, and your personality the best. I recommend testing out a couple of methods to see what you prefer. The two methods I use the most are:

The Calendar Plan: Write down specific meals that you are going to prepare each day of the week. I will typically write 5 days worth of dinners on the calendar per week and count on having left overs twice a week.
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The Flexible Plan: Plan and shop for a set number of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (ie–enough for one or two weeks) and then keep a list on the fridge of the “available” meals for the week. Each morning, see what you’re in the mood to cook.

What tips do you have for meal planning?

Lolli is a mother of five who believes that kids can do more than they lead us to believe. So she puts her kids to work cleaning and cooking as much as possible, reassuring them the whole while that they will thank her for it someday. When the kids are at school, Lolli spends her time writing on her blog, Better in Bulk, tweeting, and editing pictures from her latest photo shoots.

Grocery Shopping From a Dad’s Perspective

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:00:13 +0000

Before reading this post, there’s something you need to know: I am a man, and the thoughts that follow are written from a man’s perspective. I say this to establish my credibility. As with most subjects there may be many points of view but at my house, when it comes to shopping for groceries there’s a right way (my way), and a wrong way (I won’t mention names—Jyl).

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I particularly enjoy shopping for groceries, it’s just that when someone else does it (again, I won’t mention your name, honey), we have unique “challenges” in the areas of time, quantity, and price.

Time

In basic math, we learned what is called the Munnday-Knightfut-Ball Theorem, that is the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In other words, the quickest way to get from Point A (the grocery store entrance) to Point B (back home to watch the football game) is to NOT SHOP AS A COUPLE. I don’t say this lightly, it comes from years of trial and error, but the best way to do the shopping at our house is to let me go alone. I’m faster, more agile, and have a pocket full of coupons that I’m not afraid to use.

Variety

My wife and I went to school in different states, so it’s no surprise that we don’t see eye to eye on some things. Those things are called ‘opinions.’ My first grade teacher (shout out to Ms. Baron, yo!) taught that the opposite of opinion is something called ‘fact.’ At Grandview Elementary, one of the facts we were taught was the four basic food groups—Meat, Dairy, Grain, and Fruits and Vegetables. This was a fact; ergo it was the same throughout the entire world. Well Ms. Baron was wrong. I’m not sure we can blame it on Helen Keller Elementary or if my wife picked it up somewhere else along the line, but the food groups my wife subscribes to consists of Gourmet, Expensive, Vegetables, and Things We Will Never Eat.

To illustrate, let’s imagine a planet called Earth. This planet contains literally thousands of types of vegetables, therefore making it impossible for one produce department to stock every single variety. Business-savvy produce managers have discovered however, that if one displays just a handful of these rarities a shop appears more distinctive and appealing. The produce manager goes to great lengths to obtain these uncommon items. They are not for sale. They are decorations only. They usually don’t even have price tags. These are the fruits and vegetables my strikingly beautiful wife picks up first. Produce managers in our area turn pale when she enters their store, knowing the expensive and arduous process of replacing them will have to be undertaken once again. They turn pale. White as ghosts. Seriously.

Price

Soon after our honeymoon, I discovered my wife had a condition she had failed to disclose prior to our marriage. It was her eyes. They are unable to see or recognize an item’s price. The condition isn’t listed on her driver’s license, but it is an illness just the same. Just as someone who is colorblind can’t see certain colors, my wife is apparently powerless to see prices. I’ve pointed to them on shelves, on price tags, and even on the inordinately high numbers at the bottom of her receipts. Nothing. Zip. Nada. It’s like they’re not even there.

A recent example occurred just the other day. We were shopping together (mistake number one) and we came to the canned tuna, one of the items on our list. Brand #1 was generic. Brand #2 was a popular national brand guaranteed to not contain dolphin parts. It was on sale at a ridiculously low price—even lower than the generic brand. Brand #3 was endorsed by Rachel Ray, Julia Child, and Glenn Beck (my wife isn’t even a fan!). This brand is so flavorful that it has changed lives. People cry tears of joy when the can is opened. This is my wife’s favorite brand. By a stroke of luck involving an in-store special and an amazing coupon I had tucked away in my pocket we would not only get Brand #3 for free, but they would actually GIVE US MONEY at the check stand. So which brand does she choose? None of them. She marches us back to the seafood deli where she recalled seeing some hand-fed vitamin-enhanced all-natural tuna raised on a farm in which each individual fish is given a name, birthday parties and its own Japanese Geisha who gives it seven years of tender care before it is harvested. A two ounce container of this tuna costs as much as a small car payment. She ordered a dozen.

What Have We Learned?

The moral of this story is simple—my wife is amazing, in fact brilliant. Compared to her, the sun is a 40-watt bulb. Where millions have failed, she will succeed. If given the choice between her and a 54″ 1080p Plasma television/Maytag Neptune washer and dryer combination I would choose her. No contest. She’s the best. Just let me do the shopping.

Troy Pattee is a writer, marketer, dad, husband, and comedian (at least he THINKS he’s funny). His career in marketing and advertising started at a large agency in New York, followed by several positions in the Salt Lake City area. He has an MBA, and for six years was president and owner of the number one carpet cleaning company in Utah. His hobbies include racquetball, skiing, mowing the lawn, and shoveling snow. His favorite color is red, and he is a Pisces. His favorite car was his precious Toyota FJ.

Mary Poppins and Motherhood: Five Tips for Creating Magical Moments With Your Kids

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:56:50 +0000

When I think about the perfect role model mother figure from the movies, I immediately think of Mary Poppins. She swoops in and gets the kids to clean, feed the birds, and love to laugh without any apparent effort. She lets difficult situations, like chimney smoke, take her to new heights. And she brings a distanced family together, helping them focus on what matters most in their lives—each other, all while flying a kite.

No one can be Mary Poppins, but everyone—mothers, moms at heart, or any of us who have the ability to influence others—has the opportunity to create magical, Mary Poppins-like moments and be a positive role model.

What Is a Mary Poppins Moment?

For me, a Mary Poppins moment is a little lesson you learn that makes a big impact.

My most memorable Mary Poppins moments were taught to me by my own mother. Most specifically, she taught me to appreciate people from all walks of life and to discover our similarities while at the same time finding joy in our differences.

When I was 2, my mom learned about women who were in the process of placing their babies for adoption and needed a place to stay before their babies were born. Even though she was only 23-years old with a toddler and a 1-year old and wasn’t much older than the girls who needed help, my mom took in these women and mothered them at, what had to be, one of the most difficult times in their lives.

That was just the beginning. When I look back at the 18 years I spent in my parents’ house, they hosted four foreign exchange students, invited two teenagers with unstable home lives to live with us, and offered countless people to stay in our “hotel” while they traveled, needed shelter, etc. My mom not only cleaned the house, prepared the meals, and mothered or played hostess to all of these people, but also was a very involved “soccer mom” to six children of her own.

Five Tips for Being a Mary Poppins-Like Mom

Here are five things I learned from my mother about being a Mary Poppins-like mom:

Love to Laugh. Never let something as seemingly important as housework get in the way of playing and laughing with your kids. Have fun, be present with them, and help them feel like the only person in the world when you’re with them.
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Take a Spoonful of Sugar to Help the Medicine Go Down. Don’t let life’s challenges beat you. Enjoy the journey, even if you are going through some dark and scary places. Show your kids it’s OK to get covered in a little soot now and then, but help them focus on the positive so they can climb to new heights.
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Feed the Birds. Help those that can’t help themselves. Reach out. Lift them up. And make a meaningful difference in the world. Involve your kids in charity and help them experience how amazing giving can be.
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Go fly a kite. Set your sites high and push through to clarity. Help your kids have vision and see their potential, giving them opportunities and letting them learn from their own experiences.
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Say Supercalifragiliciousexpialidocious! Keep in mind that everything doesn’t have to make sense. Pulling lamps out of carpet bags and uttering silly phrases may feel just as out there as going with your gut. But, trusting your mother’s intuition and letting it be your guide will give you confidence and help you make the right decisions for yourself and your family.

What Mary Poppins-like moments do you create with your kids?

This post was inspired by P&G’s Thank You Mom contest—a giveaway that encourages adult children to give their mom a heartfelt “Thank You” and a chance to win a $1000 for a special trip to reconnect with mom. I wrote this while participating in the ThankYouMom.com campaign. It was originally posted on TodaysMama.com.

Saving Summer: Making a Collage to Commemorate the Season

Lori — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:28:10 +0000

“Summer has flown by” seems to be the unanimous and wistful agreement among my Mom-friends. Even if you haven’t found a way to put time in a bottle (and if you have, please share it with me!), here’s an idea for preserving your memories of this summer’s fun.

At any local photo shop or craft store, pick up a simple 18” x 24” poster frame. Encourage your child to gather up all of the souvenirs that he’s saved from the season—baseball game tickets, Summer Reading Club stickers, amusement park admission stubs, postcards, maps, brochures, photos—and get to work putting the best memories on display.

Work with your child to arrange the momentos and affix them to colorful construction or scrapbook paper. Allow the display to dry overnight, then re-assemble the frame, using the cardboard backing to support the collage and carefully placing the glass over your child’s treasured items. If your frame comes with a mat, invite your child to write a personal message to finish off his collage. A simple “Summer 2010” will do, but a favorite memory or saying will preserve the moments in his own words.

Display the creation in your child’s room or a common family area where the fun memories of summer will keep everyone warm well into the cold months of winter.

Signe Whitson, LSW has been a child therapist for over ten years. She has co-authored a book called “The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive Aggressive Behavior in Families, Schools, and Workplaces“. Her blog has wonderful advice on handling these types of issues. This article has been brought to you by our partner. Check out My Baby Clothes Boutique the next time you need to buy a baby gift – they have everything from baby accessories to baby necessities.

What is a Friend? A Brainstorming Exercise for Kids

Lori — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:00:27 +0000

One of the most important things in the world for a child is to have friends. In childhood, friends are a source of fun, learning, and support. Some friendships, however, can be dangerous and destructive. Does your child know how to tell the difference between a friend and a “frenemy?”

With the start of a new school year, try this simple exercise with your child. Better yet, invite one or two of your child’s closest (and most parent-approved) friends to join in this thinking exercise on “What is a friend?”

Tell the kids that you want to play a brainstorming game about friendship.

Allow two minutes for each person to write down as many positive qualities that they look for in a friend as possible.

If this activity is being done with just one child at a time, ask him to read his list aloud and talk briefly about why each quality is important. You may also challenge your child to rank the top five or top ten qualities and talk about the rankings.

If more than one child is participating in the activity, ask each one to take turns reading their list to the group. Instruct all of the kids to circle any of the items on their list that are read aloud by someone else. Friendship qualities that appear on three or more kids’ lists can be starred. Continue until everyone has had a chance to read their list aloud. Encourage the kids to talk about the friendship qualities that they listed in common and why they each consider these qualities to be so important.

Next, challenge the kids to think about things they would want to avoid in a friend.

For example, if a friend was always nice “to their face” but talked about them behind their backs, would they want to hold on to that person as a friend? Why or why not?

This time, when the lists are completed, encourage the kids to call out their answers while you make a list on a large sheet of paper for all to see. Even if you are only doing this exercise with one child at a time, seeing the list posted on paper makes a lasting impression.

Once the two lists are done, draw some comparisons between them. Emphasize that kids have the power to pursue friends that possess positive qualities and to avoid close relationships with persons who exhibit many of the qualities on the “avoid” list. Be careful to specify that kids should not behave unkindly toward anyone, but rather that when choosing friends, they should aim for getting to know kids with positive, desirable qualities.

An important follow-up question is to challenge kids to think about why people sometimes make friends with the “wrong” people. Allow for discussion and encourage the kids to talk about things like peer pressure, fitting in, and intimidation.

It can be very helpful for kids to hear that their peers have the same anxieties and insecurities about making and keeping friends as they do. While having friends occupies much of children’s time, rarely do they dedicate moments to considering making good friend choices. This exercise gives kids a fun and memorable opportunity to think about what they want—and want to avoid—in a friend.

By Signe Whitson, LSW. She is has been a child therapist for over ten years and blogs about the challenges we all face with passive aggressive behavior. Much of her advice has been featured on Psychology Today. She is brought to you by a baby clothes boutique. Take some time to browse our partners catalog of baby items such as baby hats, baby headbands, baby gifts and so much more.

Giveaway! Win a Kodak M380 Digital Camera or Pulse Digital Photo Frame

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:06:05 +0000

Wondering what to get mom for Mother’s Day this year? Or, looking to treat yourself to a memorable gift?

Then, enter for a chance to win one of three amazing prizes from Kodak this week, providing you with the latest and greatest ways to capture all of your Mother’s Day Kodak moments.

In this giveaway, everybody wins with an offer to get two Picture Movie DVDs for the price of one!

Picture Movie DVDs combine your favorite photos with a meaningful song and are created directly on a KODAK Kiosk in just minutes. You can find a Kodak Kiosk at a nearby Target or CVS (and these other retailers), and instead of spending the regular $15.00, this Mother’s Day you can make two for the price of one. Now you can make one for mom, grandma or even yourself!

Entry Requirements

Please do the following three things to enter for a chance to win and leave a separate comment for each:

Visit http://www.kodak.com/go/honoryourmom, check out the Picture Movie DVD process and downloadable coupon and leave a comment here, sharing who and what you’d make your DVD about.
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Follow @KodakCB on Twitter.
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Post these messages on Twitter and leave comments here with a link to your tweets:

GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win a @KodakCB digi camera or digi pic frame right in time 4 Mother’s Day http://bit.ly/9JnAI5 #gno PLS RT

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Click http://bit.ly/9BYo7m 2 dwnload coupon 4 buy 1 get 1 FREE @kodak pic movie DVD in time 4 Mother’s Day PLS RT #gno #kodakbogo

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The following four entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry each. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.

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Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, May 2, 2010. See all terms and conditions here.

The Downside of Teaching Cultural Awareness to Your Kids

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:11:21 +0000

When traveling, I believe it’s important to immerse yourself as much as possible into the culture. This probably stems from living my 17th year in Argentina as a foreign-exchange student where I shared my first shower with no less than 20 cockroaches, attended public school, and spent weekends at a cattle ranch with my Argentine family as the only English speaker…and loving every minute of it.

So, when we planned our current trip to Central America, I was looking forward to the opportunity to go native, so to speak!

Instead of scheduling a trip where we’d visit amazing water parks (I hear there are some fabulous ones in Guatemala!), we opted to see ruins, attend church in Spanish, visit colonial towns, arrange play dates with local kids who only speak Spanish, and volunteer at orphanages.

Our first stop? Livingston Island, Guatemala (on the Rio Dulce and the Caribbean Sea)—one of the most fabulous scenic trips of my life (by boat, no less). I was excited when a local gal offered to do my hair. Why not get a little further relaxed over lunch, right? Wrong! Have you ever worn corn rows? I’m not going to rule out that I’m pain adverse, but tears don’t lie, dude! And those were real tears I shed. But… when in Rome, right? Fortunately, my hair is really short, so the process didn’t take too long.

Last night, after my mom had removed all the braids and beads, my 6YO looked at me and said, “So, does this mean you aren’t African American anymore, mom?”

If there is one downside of teaching cultural awareness to my kids (and truth be told, I don’t think there is one), it’s that sometimes my well intentioned plans to help them become aware of and celebrate diverse cultures can be confusing to them. Being “Roman” and doing things “as” the Romans do are not necessarily the same, right?

What do you do to help your kids embrace other cultures?

Giveaway—Three Lucky Winners Will Win a Dyson Vacuum Cleaner

Jyl Johnson Pattee — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:58:52 +0000

This week, Dyson is giving you the chance to win one of three vacuum cleaners!

Prize

Three lucky winners will receive one of the following. (See entry requirements below.)

Grand prize: Dyson DC 31 (handheld)
1st place: Dyson DC 24 (upright)
2nd place: Dyson DC 23 (canister)

Entry Requirements

To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do four things (make sure you leave a separate comment for each of your entries).
Note: Entries that do not follow all of these requirements will not be considered.

Become a fan of the Mom It Forward Facebook page.
Join Mom It Forward Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar).
Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
Post these messages on Facebook and/or on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:

Check out these housework/cleaning nightmares & share your own: http://facebook.com/momitforward PLS RT

GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 a chance 2 win a #dyson vacuum cleaner (3 winners) http://bit.ly/7cqtk Ends Sunday! PLS RT

Extra Entries

You can earn up to five extra entries for this week’s giveaway. Leave an additional comment for each.

Share your best or worst housework experience on the Mom It Forward Facebook fan page.
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Post the “Mom Is a Verb” button on your blog. (See right-hand sidebar for button with code.)

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Dyson and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Sunday, September 6 at midnight PDT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If they do not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants in the US and Canada 18 years and older.