Preparing My ADHD Son for Success…At School and Beyond

You may recall that at the end of the school year I was pretty frustrated and angry with myself and the school.  Andrew’s needs as a child with severe ADHD were not met.  My meeting with the psychologist is coming up on the 4th and I am happy to report the anger is gone and I am excited to get to work on my Son’s roadmap to success.

Here’s a refresher.

My extremely bright 6th grader, first year middle schooler, received a final grade of an “E” in Social Studies.  He started out poorly in all subjects but raised his grades in all of them throughout the year except in Social Studies, his favorite subject. 

His grades were not at all a reflection of what he had learned in any of the subjects but we chose to celebrate the success of bringing Ds and Es up to As, Bs, and Cs, rather than dwell on the fact that they could have been all As and Bs.  Andrew worked too hard to not have his accomplishments acknowledged. 

The problems

Many folks on Andrew’s team at school did not recognize ADHD for the challenge it is.  They accused me of wanting to coddle him when all I asked for is implementation of strategies recommended by experts and regular communication between me and the teachers.  That is all I have ever requested.  According to experts, I did not demand enough.  According to the teachers, I expected too much. 

Andrew did so poorly in school because he didn’t turn in his work.  I know he did it because we stayed up late doing it together.  Homework kicked our butts this year.  The assignments became more complex with more problems, which is overwhelming to ADHD students.  So we had more complex assignments times more classes.  He cried every night at the impossibility of it all.  And every night when it was done laughed and said, “Well that wasn’t so bad.”  He also didn’t turn in classwork which I do not understand.  If a teacher has a special needs student whose special needs happen to include getting distracted and stuffing his work in his desk rather than passing it forward, is it too much to expect that teacher ask for his work?

Our basic requests this year

• student planner to be completed each day and initialed by myself and all teachers.
• completion of homework verified each night by parent and verified receipt by teacher each day.
• strategic placement in the classroom to avoid distraction and keep close contact with teacher.
• weekly email from teachers informing of any missing assignments and classwork, giving the opportunity to complete over the weekend.
• modified/reduced assignments, not for special attention but to accommodate his slower pace so he can stay caught up in class.
• gentle reminders from teacher when he appears to drift off in class
• direct eye contact when giving instruction followed by confirming with him that he heard and understands. 
• consistent use of strategies in the classroom.
• tests given individually or in small groups.

Can  you all think of anything I am missing?  We are reviewing his 504 on September 4th and setting up some tests for him.  We just have to get it right this year, I am afraid he is slipping through the cracks. 

I found a great resource while researching to prepare for my meeting with the school.  It is called The ADHD Road Map to Success Kit.  If you have a child who suffers from ADHD or even just needs help with organization, check it out here. 

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How can you be sure your kids are getting the proper nutrition throughout the day when you send them off to school?  As they get older no one checks to make sure they’re eating anymore.  They could be flushing their sandwiches down the toilet for fun and giving their pudding to a girl they want to impress.  Nobody cares.  I am so glad for school to start back up and for all the relief that this time of year brings.  But now it’s time to worry about a whole new set of issues.  Eating lunch is a big concern for me.  Why do I get so upset and what am I going to do about it?  I am glad you asked!

My Son is 12 and he weighs 62 lbs.  He’s down from 64 lbs at his last physical. My Daughter is 8 and in the 90th percentile at 78lbs.  There is only an inch difference in height between them, despite the 4 years.

My Daughter loves lunch time.  She has been crazy about it ever since the first day of kindergarten when she kept interrupting the teacher asking if it was lunch time because she was real excited about busting out her new Scooby Doo lunch box.  She buys the lunch and, until I put restrictions on her account, bought many of the “quarter extras” available to her such as cookies, cake, ice cream, Sunny Delight, etc.  At the elementary level there are no long lines to wait and plenty of time to enjoy all her food. 

Middle School, however, is different.  The lines are long and the time is short.  My Son complains that if he waits in line for a hot lunch he barely has time to eat it, much less socialize afterward.  Sometimes he grabs something small like a pretzel out of the snack line but the problem is his ADHD medicine is in full effect around the lunch hour not only keeping him focused but killing his appetite.  He is not hungry so there is just no motivation to eat.  He is too anxious to find an open chess table and a willing opponent.

The answer is simple, right?  Make cold lunches.  I got to a point last year, though, where I thought “if he isn’t eating anyway, it is wasteful to make him lunch”.  Plus I was more rattled last year in general and probably looking for an excuse remove “pack lunches” from my daily routine.  So I filled up his account with money assuming he would eat when he was hungry.  Like that old attitude, “it ain’t gonna kill him to miss a meal.  If he’s hungry he’ll wait it line.” 

Bad Mom.

Obviously it is hurting him because he is losing weight rather than gaining.  So cold lunch it is.  It is also time to customize their lunches.  Maybe I wrong to ever be feeding them matching lunches, considering their difference in age.  But the similarity in their size through me off, I guess.

So how do I ensure that he eats his lunch at school? Realize that I can’t and come up with a plan  for getting in the daily necessities.

Our doctor’s appointment was a great lead into a dialogue about eating in general.  She told him that he is almost 13 years old and he looks like he is 8.  (Yikes! Harsh! We usually AVOID those comments!)  She went on to make it clear to him that he is as small as he is not because he is meant to be but because he chooses to be. 

The Langston Food Summit of 2008 was eye opening and productive.

We identified that he is most hungry first thing in the morning and ravenous at night.  Duh!  He skimps on lunch and his meds are worn off by late afternoon.  He is up all night snacking on the wrong things and tearing up the kitchen.  We came up with a simple and encouraging plan.

• Have a bigger breakfast but don’t simply overindulge on multiple bowls of sugary cereal.  Add a piece of fruit, boiled egg, and raisin toast. (these are from his suggested foods)
• Pack a small, simple lunch of things that are fast and easy to eat so that he is more likely to eat while socializing, even though he isn’t hungry.  He said he would love celery sticks and peanut butter, a granola bar, and a Slim Jim or something similar.  Sounds more like a snack than a meal right?  That’s okay.  It is more than he was eating before and it really is just a snack.  Read on.
• Enjoy a big family dinner.  He is a great eater at dinner time, devouring a big salad and pasta or the like.  We eat early because Hubby gets home at 3 or 4pm which is great because having not had much lunch, my Son is usually famished by this time as meds have worn off a bit.
• Here’s our secret weapon.  A fourth meal around 7pm.  This is usually the time everyone gets a scoop of ice cream or mini ice cream sandwich if homework is done and attitudes are good.  He will still get that reward of course, but first he will have a can of Chef Boyardee and a cucumber or something similar.   

I love Chef Boyardee and mac & cheese and all those convenient dinner helpers now that I serve them as the side dish to big salads and crunchy veggie main courses.  For better or worse, this combination is satisfying to him so he can stop snacking and I can close the kitchen at 8:30 and be confident it will not be covered in peanut butter, jelly, toast crumbs, with feet marks on the counters, when I get up in the morning.

I came to see that I was worrying too  much about this one meal of the day that I couldn’t control and decided to turn it into a somewhat balanced snack.  I have plenty of time after school to make sure he gets his proper nutritional allowances for the day.

As for my Daughter, I received a call that first day of kindergarten being notified that after a morning filled of interrupting the class asking, “is it time yet?” she suddenly disappeared.  She was found underneath her desk with her lunch spread out like a picnic, enjoying.  Things have never really changed.
I hope I was able to get you thinking about ways to solve your eating challenges at home and lunch time.  I would love to hear more tips from all of you, too.  So if you have any favorite strategies, please share!

Thanks to a la corey  at Flickr for the hot lunch photo!

Michelle Obama was fantastic at Day 1 of the Democratic Convention!

Now this is not a political blog, nor am I a political sort but this is such an important and special election year that it’s hard not to be excited. 

I am already an Obama girl so I didn’t need to be won over tonight, but I was looking forward to the personal perspective that a speech by Michelle Obama would deliver.  I was not disappointed.  I have to guess that the undecided folks who were looking for some answers about what drives the Obamas, felt some of the same warm fuzzies that I did.

There were a couple of times that I started to well up with tears listening to Michelle speak about herexperiences, her Family and loving her Dad, as well as her Girls, her Husband, and her country.  It was emotional because I could identify with all of it.

Whereas for years I have looked at the people in the white house and thought, “what planet are you people from?” in Michelle Obama I saw real people, real emotion, and real desire to fix us.  And to motivate us to fix ourselves.

So Michelle did a great job of bridging any gaps between us and Barack creating some trust and comfort.  There is no doubt they can bring us together, but can they get they get the job done?

I am looking forward to the rest of the convention to find out.

Did anybody say/sing the title to the tune of Don Ho’s “Tiny Bubbles”?   5000 points to you if you did.  Maybe I should be asking if anyone even knows Don Ho anymore.  I was just a kid but I liked him.  And that’s what I was thinking of and singing in my head when I cleaned my bathroom yesterday with that new ACTION SCRUBBER from Scrubbing Bubbles.

I had one of those crazy unplanned cleaning days Sunday.  I had a lot of work to do but didn’t feel like writing, and all my real estate appointments canceled for the weekend.  With the sudden gift of free time I decided to try out my new cleaning gadget, the ACTION SCRUBBER, which has been waiting patiently in the pantry for me to bust it out.  I get to evaluate products from time to time, which I really enjoy because I love trying new gadgets and gizmos, especially when they have something to do with cleaning and organizing. 

My SILs, Taco Salad and the 2007 Wakeboard Champ of Smallwood Lake, are right now going, “Did she just imply she is clean and organized?”  and “Pantry?  Does she mean that Home Depot shelf in the basement?”

Seriously you guys, you have to stop being so critical.

Anyway, the ACTION SCRUBBER is awesome.  I have tried all the cleaning wands that have emerged over the last few years and they are a pain in the butt.  The ACTION SCRUBBER is small and soft so it is comfortable to use and store.

It was pretty cool how the softness of the tool made it almost magical the way it fit up and around the faucets and smaller, angled areas.

The best part is the clean smell and sparkle afterward.  I remember my Mom used the old Scrubbing Bubbles when I was a kid and everything always seemed so clean.  There have been so many new and interesting cleaning solutions and gadgets to come along since then that I simply forgot about Scrubbing Bubbles. 

While  was looking for a picture online to put in this post I found a link to a coupon.  It usually costs about $5 and the coupon takes off $2.75.  Now that’s worth clipping! Get your coupon here. 

I am glad it was brought back to my attention.  In fact, after I got my bathrooms cleaned I was so motivated and energized I went on a cleaning spree that lasted from 11am to 8pm! Besides sparkling up the main level,  I attacked the basement as well… I threw away a ton of trash, reorganized my office, cleaned up the toy area, and started my bins for the Salvation Army’s pick up on the 6th. 

Hubby even got in the action and cleaned and vacuumed all the cars.  No small job in my Jeep, let me tell you.

So today I woke up to the sweet fragrance of Scrubbing Bubbles, fresh vacuum lines in the carpet, and everything in its place. I did not have to climb over a pile of books or files to get to my desk, and there is so much free area around my that I can roll around in my chair a bit. It is going to be a super day.  All thanks to the ACTION SCRUBBER.

Has anybody else tried it?  What’s YOUR favorite cleaning tool that you couldn’t live without?  Mine would be the Dyson.  Don’t get me started on that…. 

It’s Friday already? Really? Well welcome to it and the Friday DVD review.

This is another Sari’s pick and she got it right again with this family adventure set on a beautiful island hidden from the rest of the world. If there was no other element to the story I would still be sold.

Nim and her Father are the model of happiness, love and respect. Respect for one another, for their island abode and for the creatures they share it with. The pair may dine of meal worms and make their own toys and gizmos but they are far from living primitively, using web searches and email to stay connected and in touch.

Nim doesn’t go to school. What she knows, and she knows plenty, she has learned from her Dad and the books he brings to the island, the internet, and the animals on the island.

Nim is a refreshing character in contrast to the usual cast of bumblers and trouble makers we are accustomed to. Take my favorite show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” for instance. Two cute loveable bumblers. We watch everyone in the cast taking their turn at screwing up, then doing the right thing in the end. This is good for kids to see so they know that nobody’s perfect and it’s never to late to right a wrong. But it sure was nice to see a strong, responsible character like Nim who can identify what needs to be done and take care of business right from the start. Not whine or try to weasel her way out of it. Ahhh refreshing indeed.

“Nim’s Island” is out on DVD now so if you would like to see how Nim works with her animal friends to ward off would be vacationers and enlists the help of her favorite author (played by Jodie Foster) to find her missing Father, rent it this weekend!

If you already know you love it, BUY IT right here from Blog Island. Cool right? I know, I’m getting very fancy over her. 

And if you just want a glimpse of what all the hububs about, I am attaching a video clip for you to enjoy. See how thoughtful I am? You’ll have to get your own popcorn though.
Enjoy!

I was lucky enough to have a couple of pretty special Grandmas.  I lost one, Grandma D, to cancer way too early and Alzheimer’s is holding my other one, Grandma F, hostage. 

Although my Grandmothers were very different from each other, neither of them was a typical Grandma.  There were no cookies or pies being baked, that I can recall, but there was commonly beer on hand. There was canning, though.  I especially loved when Grandma D did her pickles.  OHHHH I would love one right now!

I had my first sip of PABST BLUE RIBBON with Grandma D when I was little, while she swore at me and cheated at Yahtzee.  Or was I the one cheating?  The memory gets foggy after so many years.  But she definitely was the one swearing and it was hilarious.  “Don’t chew with food in your mouth G-Darnit” I remember her yelling at me one time.  She couldn’t figure out why I was out of breath and laughing.  Of course she meant don’t “TALK” with food in your mouth but I could not let it go.  It was no secret I had her wrapped around my finger, despite how authoritative she tried to be.  Grandma D lived a hard life and worked hard to overcome life’s many challenges while raising her five kids alone.  She was neither delicate nor petite in the time I knew her, but in pictures of her younger days she was gorgeous.  What never changed was the red lipstick.  I can see it on her plainly, red lips smacking and chewing chicklets, fancied up when we had someplace good to go.  She was so special.

Grandma F could not have been more different than Grandma D in appearance.  She’s always been a teeny tiny little red head, dressed in the hottest trendiest fashions and shaking her bootie at the local Moose Lodge. (cracking up over here thinking ’bout it because I always wanted to go with her so I could see a “moose”)  Nope, no baking going on here, but she did let me help her cook dinner.  I used my first sharp knife with Grandma F and was sworn to secrecy.  I learned how to chop cucumbers and peel potatoes with her.  She and Grandpa lived on and off in Florida, maybe that’s why our closeness didn’t come until later.  Our chats about boys and parents over Chinese food and grape juice are treasured memories.  I gave her her first taste of sweet and sour chicken and she got me hooked on grape juice over ice.  It was around that time, at a family gathering that I learned Grandma F read tea leaves.  It was the coolest thing.  As kids you just don’t imagine your elders having such flavor.  It wasn’t long after that when Grandma F. started feeling bad and losing her memories.  You just never have the time you think you have to explore and spend with your loved ones.

Grandma F is up there in her eighties now and I don’t see her much.  The Alzheimer’s has finally made it too difficult for her to attend family gatherings anymore, but she has kicked its butt and held it at bay for a long time!  Another special lady I was graced with in my lifetime.

Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease whose growth is rapidly multiplying.  It is ten times more common than it was ten years ago and number of documented Alzheimer’s patients is expected to rise from 15 million to 30 million over the next twenty years.  There is no such thing as “getting better” from Alzheimer’s, there is no prevention or cure.  Yet. 

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walks taking place in 600 communities nationwide throughout fall offer all of us the opportunity to play a part in bringing an end to Alzheimer’s.  In case I am not able to make the participate in the Flint walk in September I signed up for the virtual walk online.  There are many opportunities to suit you, so take a minute to check it out.  You can even donate directly to the Alzheimer’s Association right through  my team website.  How easy is that?  The Walk really needs some team captains, though, so if motivation is your game, then Captain Stubing is your name…. or something like that. :-) Just find a link and click it to find the opportunity that’s right for you.

Most importantly, hug your Grandma today.  She has a whole lifetime of unique experiences to share, don’t wait too long to start asking her about it. 

Or is it return to good sleeping habits?

Some people, as you see, have no trouble getting cozy and getting their ZZzzzs on at any time.  The rest of us aren’t quite so lucky. 

With back to school just around the corner we can no longer ignore the ugly fact that we have to start getting up extra early again. 

Here’s my routine.

• Wake up at 5 am, stretch and make my bed.
• 5:15 Turbo Jam
• 6:00 Shower, brush teeth, put make up on.
• 6:30 Wake up kids, make breakfast,
• 6:40 Blow dry & dress
• 7:00 water flowers
• 7:15 guide kids along, do pony tails, backpack checks, assist in pick up rooms, etc.
• 7:40 Leave to drop Drew off at Middle School at 7:50 (bell rings at 8:10)
• 8:00 Arrive at Elementary school and read with Sari until 8:30 when the doors open.
• 8:40 nutritional breakfast shake
• 9:00 start work.

I WISH!

More like…

• fly out of bed at 7, pull kids out of bed and throw cereal and clothes at them.
• 7:15 brush teeth, wipe off eye make up, poof up or pat down hair, whichever works.
• 7:30 start yelling.
• 7:40 put on some pants and continue yelling.
• 7:50 pull out of the driveway.
• 8:05 drop off Drew.
• 8:20 drop Sari off in the foyer with the other children of crazy unorganized school of choice moms. 

Either way, no more staying up til 3am and sleeping in til 10am.  Not that I do that, but I’ve heard tell of it.

On the serious, I have a technique.  I wrote about it in more detail on my hubpage  but the point is to get not only ENOUGH sleep but to time it properly in 90 minutes cycles. 

The reason you are sometimes groggy or grouchy when you wake up is because you disturbed your sleep cycle at the deepest point. Whereas if you time your sleep to wake up at the very end or beginning of the cycle you feel refreshed and energized. 

Here’s your table for corresponding go to sleep and wake up times

• in bed at 8pm, up at 5, 6:30, or 8am.
• in bed at 9pm, up at 4:30, 6:00, 7:30, or 9am. 
• in bed at 10pm, up at 5:30, 7:00, or 8:30.
• in bed at 11pm, up at 5:00, 6:30, or 8:00am.
• in bed at midnight, up at 6:00, 7:30, or 9:00am.

If you are going to bed any later than midnight, which is pushing it, you are not allowing yourself the sleep you need to feel your best and do your best each day.

It might sound kooky at first, but think about it.  Sleep cycles and REM are not new ideas.  It only makes sense that you would wake up better and feel better if you were not interrupted during your deepest sleep.  In addition to your groggy factor, the mind and body operate at maximum potential if those sleep cycles are not interrupted.

I think it would be fun for everyone to try scheduling their sleep this way for two weeks and report back and tell me what you experienced.  Anyone?

I am going to assume that the majority of you are from this planet so I am not going to go into a lengthy explanation of who the Jonas Brothers are.  If you don’t know ask your niece.

I was at my niece’s house yesterday.  One wall and both sides of her door are covered with pictures of Nick, Kevin, and Joe Jonas.  She made me take two quizzes to determine which Jonas I am compatible with.  She is a Nick.  My daughter and I are Kevins.  

Not everyone loves the Joni (that’s the plural, pronounounced “joe-nye” for anyone who hasn’t seen the Hannah Montana episode they were on).  My Son, almost 13, thinks they are “stupid”.  I’m inclined to think he’s drinking “haterade” and munching on “hater tots”.  First all the girls at school love these guys, then his Sister, now his Mom.  You can’t really blame him, I guess.

And the truth is I am crazy about these guys.  Much like my appreciation for Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers provide positive entertainment for my kids and embrace their role as “role models”.  I even heard that their Dad is writing a book on parenting.  Unlike the parenting book that Lindsey Lohan’s Mom wrote, or was it Brittney Spears Mom?  I truly cannot remember at the moment, anyway, Mr. Jonas might actually have some good tips, judging by his boys good attitude.

I found this clip of the Jonas Brothers from the first time they were on the Ellen Show.  They’ve been on several times since including her summer shows at Universal Studios.  If you don’t know who they are, take a look so you can stop hiding in shame.  And if  you do, enjoy! 

What I like about this clip is it is obvious that I am not the only Mom who likes these guys.  Check out the moms who are outscreaming the teenagers!

I had a positively startling moment the other day when I recieved a message so loud and clear from the Universe that I sat frozen in my chair. 

Absent was the mojito that usually accompanies me on the back deck when I sneak away for the rare occasion of quiet time to read.  Present was the sweet smell of my potted mint which made the moment even more vibrant. 

First of all, an admission: I spend too much money.  I don’t budget right and I am paying for it in the form of a couple credit card bills that haunt me each month.  Although my purchases were necessities, I have learned that YES my kids need undies but NO they don’t have to be from Marshall Fields.   Do you see where I am coming from?  And although at the time of the spending, timely payback was not an issue, I didn’t consider that the future had some surprises.  A broken collar bone, broken ankle, ripped ligament, severe drop in real estate market, and layoffs at The Big Three added up to surgeries, time off work, and tons of lost wages. 

You won’t see me putting up a category here called, “Mommies Financial Tips” that’s for sure.  But I will take the opportunity to just say, “Crap happens.  Beware when charging.”

SO!  That’s the backstory, here’s the freaky universe part.  There is this website where authors submit their books and ask you to read the book then blog your honest opinion about it.  I just learned about it was so excited to find this book called “Eating For Energy”.  I think it is the perfect follow up for me to “Skinny Bitch” and will serve me well as I continue to change my direction toward more plant based living. 

The book came in Thursday and I worked it into my schedule for Friday afternoon.  I situated Hubby in front of the TV with snacks and the Olympics and organized free video game time for the kids.  I couldn’t have my mojito because I am in the middle of an ELEVEN day body cleanse (different post, different day!) but crunching on my cleansing chocolate snacks, sipping water, and sniffing the potted mint I was in heaven and ready to devour this book.

“Eating for Energy” by Yuri Elkaim is the book.  I opened it up and skipped over the title page, the table of contents, and the comments and went straight to the first line which read, “When I set out to write this book one of my main objectives was to help women put money in perspective…”  Huh?  I thought to myself, interesting, he started writing a bookd about money that turned into a healthy living book.  I continued to read a bit then caught a gimpse of the top of the page which read “AWoman of Independent Means”.  I quickly turned to the title page which read, “Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s A Woman of Independent Needs”.  MOTHER HUBBARD!  They had put the wrong book inside the “Eating For Energy cover.”  I was so disappointed because the last thing I wanted to read on my well planned out free time was financial stuff! 

And then it hit me, IS THIS A MESSAGE?  Am I spending too much energy focusing on my quest for natural living when I should be addressing my unhealthy spending?  Should I also be examining my relationship with money as well as my relationship with food? 

I mean, seriously, who has ever picked up a book to read and the wrong book been inside the cover?  Does this happen?  I am not sure how to proceed and I am sure it’s an important message but that money book is so boring.  I have a Jean Chatzky book called, “Make Money Not Excuses” which seems more interesting but I haven’t read it yet.  (Another example of silly spending?)  Maybe I’ll dig it back out.

What do you think?  Am I making too big of a deal out of this publishing faux pas?  Or is the world trying to help me out here? 

 I love blogging.  I have been a lover of reading and writing since I started reading to the other kids on the bus in kindergarten.  I’ve kept diaries and journals for most of my life.  I put everything down on paper.  And whenever something is on my mind Iwrite it down to release it so I can move on.  So of course I like to blog.

Do you?

Wouldn’t it be fun to post your random thoughts for the day and get a dollar in return?

There are many opportunities out there to start your own blog.  The number one rule of blogging is to do it because you love it, not because you want to make a fortune. 

Plenty of people are pursuing a career in some type of freelance writing, if you are I have a cool program for you.  It doesn’t require any special knowledge or skills since the blog is set up for you.  If you can type, you can blog. 

But what if you’re not pursuing a career in freelance writing?  Well the program might still be for you.  If you like writing in journals, recording your thoughts, and giving your opinion you will love it too!

The website is called Today.com. They pay you a buck a day to write a post per day on your blog, which is about whatever you want it to be.  So just think about it as someone paying you “a dollar for your thoughts.”  It’s super easy and fun.  In addition to the dollar per post you get paid for impressions. I am having a blast watching my stats go up every day at my Today.com blog. 

You don’t have to be a “blogger” or computer whiz.  You log on.  Write what’s on your mind and log out.  You’ve earned your dollar for the day and got it off your chest.  That WAS my intention but I’ve gotten addicted to the other activities too.  

In addition to writing your posts it’s a great place to catch up on news, politics, gossip, etc.  It’s just a really cool place.  So if you’re interested in earning a dollar for YOUR thoughts, buzz on over to Today.com using the banner to your right. There’s no catch I swear! :-) 

If you do sign up or already have a Today.com blog please share the name of your site and I’ll come visit you!