Get ready for three days of relaxation, validation and a little bit of learning! Schedule subject to change.

Friday, November 5

5:00pm – Guest arrival/check in and gift bag

6:30pm​ – Registration opens

7:00pm – Cocktail reception

7:30pm​ – Facilitated ice-breakers/meet and greet

8:15pm – ​LIVE podcast recording with Erin & Kristin – Plus, door prizes & giveaways

9:00pm – Moms’ night out

Saturday, November 6

8:00am – Fitness class with Jen and Kelley

10:00am​ – Brunch with guest speaker (TBD)

11:00am – Manic Mommies Book Club discussion with Elizabeth McCraken, author, “An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir”

11:00am – 3:00pm – Design your own Escape (shopping, spa, sightseeing on own)

3:30pm – 5:30pm – ​Mom U.
This year we’re celebrating the Manic Mommies audience. All Mom U. workshops are led by a fabulous Manic Mommies listener! (Select two, 45 minute sessions)

• Workshop #1 Wish BIG Inspiration Journals
  Mindy Tsonas, founder, WishStudio.com
  Need a jump start to help you dive into an idea or project you’ve been thinking about?  Want to redecorate that room?  Start that book group?  Plan that big bash?  Create that handmade business?  Whatever it is, in this workshop we will take the first steps in the direction of your dream by creating a special space for you to wish, plan and create.  Together, using file folders, craft papers and collaging materials and embellishments we will design and construct a mixed media inspiration journal with images and words to light your creative fire.  Please bring a magazine you don’t mind sharing and cutting up, and all other craft goodies will be provided.  If you join us for this workshop you also can sign up to take part in a post Escape creative swap – a great way to stay crafty and connected!
• Workshop #2 How to Run Your Days So They Don’t Run You
  Erin Henderschedt, mother of four boys, parent coach and teacher
  Looking to parent your kids with purpose from son (or daughter) up to sundown? In this workshop we’ll cover everything you need to know to make your daily family life run more smoothly: from the morning rush of getting the kids out the door to midday meltdowns at home or the store. Then it’s on to dinner and the bedtime routine and what about all those hiccups in between? Come ready to tackle the pain points in your day and please bring your questions.
• Workshop #3 Speaking Your Truth
  Kristin Grimes, CPCC and Joan Shulman, CPCC, certified professional career coaches
  Do you ever say “yes” but wish you had said “no”?  Do you find yourself overcommitted and unsatisfied with your relationships? The ability to speak from the heart is often silenced by life’s “shoulds” and in trying to please our partners, our children, our employers and extended families, how authentic is that?  Are these relationships truly being honored? By saying “yes” to what else are we saying “no”? Using humor, self-reflection and open dialogue, these questions and others will be explored. Life coaches Kristin and Joan will take you through some exercises to find out where your truth lies and the signs that will help you discover what deserves a “yes” and what deserves a “no.” You will come away with a renewed commitment to yourself and to those you care about.
• Workshop #4 Organizing Through the Ages
  Tina Brooks, certified life documents organizer, owner, Methods Organizing
  In today’s busy world being organized is essential.  This is especially true for moms who are juggling the responsibilities of raising children, running a household and, in some cases, advancing a career.  This workshop will examine some of the biggest organizational challenges facing moms throughout their children’s lives and will offer ideas for processes and products that will help relieve the stress.  We will also offer tips on how to teach your children to be organized from a very young age and explain how this skill could make all the difference in their success both in school and life.  Along the way we’ll also look at the different organizing styles and talk about how your way of organizing may be very different from that of your husband or your children.  There’s no right way to get organized.  The most important thing is to find systems that work for you and your family.  You’ll leave this workshop with a great toolbox of methods that will, once implemented, help you manage a little of the madness in your life.
• Workshop #5: How to be a FitMom for a FitFamily
  Jennifer Blau and Kelley Bennett, fitness coaches
  Experts have predicted that our children may be the first generation to not outlive their parents.  Here’s the good news: we, as mothers, have the power to influence and shape a child’s food choices, activity levels, and lifestyle factors that can actually prevent obesity.  In this workshop, Jen and Kelley will not only help you outline a personal fitness plan but also tackle the greater issue of bringing health and fitness to your entire family.  Whether you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle for years or have already completed a marathon or two, this workshop will cover topics that can be applied to women of varying levels of fitness.  Come ready to discuss the struggles that prevent you and your family from leading an active lifestyle and be prepared to leave with a plan of attack!

6:30pm – Manic Mommies Margarita Party!

8:00pm – Dinner on your own

Sunday, November 7

8:00am – Fitness class with Kelley and Jen

10:00am​ – “Passion and Zen: Stories on Following Your Dreams, Being a Mom and Redefining Balance”
Brunch and community keynote with Manic Mommies listener Angela Devlen

Angela is a passionate advocate for humanitarian, healthcare and women’s issues working on several projects including prevention of violence against women, gender issues in disasters, grassroots education and community development projects. Angela is a partner at Wakefield Brunswick, a management consulting firm, and the president of Mahila Partnership, a nonprofit she founded in 2007.

11:00am – Group photo and business card swap

12:00pm – See you next year!