Halloween

Last night we spent a few hours at King Richard's passing out treats. It was a great event, well organized and with smiling children and enthusiastic vendors. Tonight it's Spooktacular at Fleischmann Park--more treats and fun. I have to admit I'm not the biggest Halloween fan but it is fun to see the children dressed up and the parents are always so nice (and happy to grab the newest issue of the magazine). For some reason, the kids we meet at these events are more polite (very few grab handfuls of candy!) and happy so it's quite enjoyable.

My neighborhood is one where tons of kids come to trick or treat and after years of kids grabbing the candy and bolting without even a thank you, these events are a pleasant change.

Be safe tonight and have a blast however you celebrate!

Coupons everywhere

If you've been wandering around our home page at swflfamily.com you may have clicked on the coupons tab. Until now, you've found a "coming soon" banner. But click again! You'll now find dozens of coupons from our advertisers offering all kids of special deals. Who doesn't want to save a few dollars these days? All you need to do is click the coupon you're interested in and a large, printable coupon appears. Check back often for updates and please, be sure to let the advertiser know that you will be using one the of the coupons when you call to book your appointment.

If you're a business owner who wants to get in on the coupon fun here at swflfamily.com, give us a call at 514-0338 and we'll tell you how easy it is to do.

Cleaning up after the storm

There's always a moment right after I finish up each issue (usually when I've completed proofing and hit the "send" button that gives the printer the go ahead) when I look around the office and realized I've created a disaster area once again. I spend the week of layout running around in a daze throwing papers, not refiling and generally making a big, old mess. And then reckoning day comes--I have to put all this crap away! 

I'm not a naturally neat person but I do like things very neat and organized so it's a struggle. I've found the answer in the rest of my house to be decluttering and simple routine. I've made a concentrated effort to declutter every area of my home following the advice of William Morris to "have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

It's worked pretty well everywhere BUT my office. No matter how many times I declutter I find more. No matter how many times I file, the stacks remain. No matter how many issues I get to press, I face the same mess after I get done. 

Maybe it's time for either a) a professional organizer to set me on a different path in my office or b) simply accepting that this is the way it's going to be and letting go of the need to be different.

I'm cleaning up the mess and then I'll decide!

Off to press!

The November issue is gone and I have time to rest a bit and catch up with email and return calls. We have a busy week coming up several Halloween events. First up, "Boo at the Zoo" on Saturday from 3-7pm. On Thursday, we'll be at King Richard's for their celebration and on Friday, we'll be at Fleischmann Park for the Spooktacular. I just got new Halloween tattoos in so be sure to stop by to see us if you attend any of the events.

Back to Work

I'm back from DC and back to work on the November issue. The trip was wonderful, a perfect 4 days of conversation with Alex, walking throughout DC, meeting the pandas at the National Zoo and poignant visits to the Vietnam Memorial and Holocaust Museum. It's fun to see Alex in her element--she lives in a vibrant, busy neighborhood with shops, restaurants and lots of action and everything is within walking distance. Fun and relaxation, the perfect vacation!

Now it's back to work on the November issue. This issue features some serious topics--homelessness in Collier County and foster care and adoption. Our annual Tutoring Directory will also be in this issue. There are also tons of calendar events coming in for the month.

"Deadline week" is always busy with layout, last minute ad insertions and editing but it's also the most enjoyable part of the magazine process for me. When the pace is busy but not too crazy, time flies and I feel the most creative.

She's my grown up baby and best friend

When my daughter was little I truly couldn't imagine the day when she'd be "all grown up" and gone from the house. I realized fairly quickly that the process of college was invented to give parents enough time to let go. By the time my daughter Alex was a senior in college, I was good to go and ready for the empty house and holidays spent elsewhere. She spent the next year traveling and popped in occasionally for weeks at a time. During her first year of law school at UF, she came home with some regularity. Now she's in her second year of law school in Washington DC and I can see how our relationship has moved to a completely new level. And it's a very nice feeling.

I'm heading up to visit her for a long weekend in a few hours and it's a unique feeling to be going to her home (granted it's a DC studio the size of a large Naples closet but it's HERS). I'm promising myself not to rearrange anything or even clean up. I'm going to be her guest and enjoy every minute of it!

I'm remembering those days when I worried about what it would be like to not have her living at home and smile. This is every bit as good as the first day of Kindergarten or watching her dance recitals. It's the warm, happy feeling of knowing your job is done and it was done well. I have an incredible daughter who is now my best friend. I also have a free place to stay right in the heart if DC! Life is good.