How do you keep organized?

This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I hope
will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar weeks and you
write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2 weeks at a time on the
fridge.

With my OB appointments, weekly fetal medicine specialist appointments,
coffee dates, kids school reminders (who needs to take what with them),
kids' appointments (dentist, doctor), daycare times, etc...I have soooooo
many pieces of paper all over the place and inevitably I forget *something*.

I thought I'd found the perfect thing with a Mom's Organizer Calendar. It
has a line for each family member, stickers for reminders like swim meet,
recital, dentist, etc...but it wasn't easy to read honestly.

So how do you keep organized?

Sophie
#4 due 7/7/04 - 4th c-section

Sophie wrote in message
...
This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I hope
will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar weeks and you
write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2 weeks at a time on the
fridge.

With my OB appointments, weekly fetal medicine specialist appointments,
coffee dates, kids school reminders (who needs to take what with them),
kids' appointments (dentist, doctor), daycare times, etc...I have soooooo
many pieces of paper all over the place and inevitably I forget
*something*.

I thought I'd found the perfect thing with a Mom's Organizer Calendar. It
has a line for each family member, stickers for reminders like swim meet,
recital, dentist, etc...but it wasn't easy to read honestly.

So how do you keep organized?

I don't. Next question!
Debbie

Sophie wrote:
This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I
hope will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar
weeks and you write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2
weeks at a time on the fridge.

Right now since Steve is home I have it pretty easy but that will all change
once he goes back to work and I have to coordinate daycare and summer
activity stuff as well. I saw exactly what you are talking about and wanted
it bad, lol. Sadly magnets don't stick to my stupid fridge! Clearly a
woman without children designed the kitchen ;-)

Right now I have everything on my work calander but that is down in the
basement and Steve doesn't ever see it. I have a palm pilot but that isn't
the answer for me. I was considering a bulliton board, white board combo
but I'm not sure. Hopefully I'll get some good tips from your thread :-D

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (5) and Luke (3)

In article ,
"Sophie" wrote:

This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I hope
will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar weeks and you
write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2 weeks at a time on the
fridge.

With my OB appointments, weekly fetal medicine specialist appointments,
coffee dates, kids school reminders (who needs to take what with them),
kids' appointments (dentist, doctor), daycare times, etc...I have soooooo
many pieces of paper all over the place and inevitably I forget *something*.

I thought I'd found the perfect thing with a Mom's Organizer Calendar. It
has a line for each family member, stickers for reminders like swim meet,
recital, dentist, etc...but it wasn't easy to read honestly.

So how do you keep organized?

Sophie
#4 due 7/7/04 - 4th c-section



I've gone through many different approaches, from the large paper
calendar on the wall to the dry-erase type of calendar (with a different
color for each person). I liked the dry-erase calendar, with two months
on the wall (this month and next month) at a time.

These days, EVERYONE'S schedule is in my PDA, and I print out a set of
monthly calendars periodically, and a weekly calendar most weeks on
Friday for the following week.

It seems to be working for now -- but my kids are old enough that I
expect them to keep track of their own day-time schedules, I just have
to know when I will need to provide transportation or anything like that.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

"dragonlady" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Sophie" wrote:

This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I hope
will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar weeks and
you
write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2 weeks at a time on
the
fridge.

With my OB appointments, weekly fetal medicine specialist appointments,
coffee dates, kids school reminders (who needs to take what with them),
kids' appointments (dentist, doctor), daycare times, etc...I have
soooooo
many pieces of paper all over the place and inevitably I forget
*something*.

I thought I'd found the perfect thing with a Mom's Organizer Calendar.
It
has a line for each family member, stickers for reminders like swim
meet,
recital, dentist, etc...but it wasn't easy to read honestly.

So how do you keep organized?

Sophie
#4 due 7/7/04 - 4th c-section



I've gone through many different approaches, from the large paper
calendar on the wall to the dry-erase type of calendar (with a different
color for each person). I liked the dry-erase calendar, with two months
on the wall (this month and next month) at a time.

These days, EVERYONE'S schedule is in my PDA, and I print out a set of
monthly calendars periodically, and a weekly calendar most weeks on
Friday for the following week.

It seems to be working for now -- but my kids are old enough that I
expect them to keep track of their own day-time schedules, I just have
to know when I will need to provide transportation or anything like that.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

I also use a PDA. My daughter has a lot of medical issues and it was much
easier to put all the appoinments (with ringing reminders!) as well as all
the doctor contact information in rather than carry around the Franklin
planner I'd had for years. I've had my PDA almost four years and it's
started acting up lately so I might have to replace it soon. Two weeks ago
it inexplicably moved *all* my appointments back an hour. Luckily I noticed
it before I started showing up late! It backs up to my desktop and shares
all the address book information and calendar with Outlook (but not outlook
express).

There are some great downloadable programs for the PDA such as shopping
lists and other project management type things that I find helpful. Some
are free and some cost a few dollars (some much more). There are even some
family medical history programs but I don't use one (yet).

Leigh

"Sophie" wrote in message
...
So how do you keep organized?

PDA. It's my brain. I'd be lost without it.

Sophie wrote:

So how do you keep organized?

The good old kitchen calendar, color coded by person.
Also, DH and I both keep PDAs synchronized with the family
calendar. The kitchen calendar is the definitive source for
family things. It's a bit of a pain keeping up two sources,
but we find we need both most of the time (and the kids know
to refer to the kitchen calendar, and I'm not ready to get
them PDAs yet ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

Sophie wrote:

So how do you keep organized?

Sophie
#4 due 7/7/04 - 4th c-section

It seems kind of archaic, but I have a paper planner, just calendar booklet from
the local university bookstore with days of the week and I write in what I need
to do and when and just refer to it daily. My mom offered to get me a palm
pilot last christmas but I just didn't think I would end up using it that much.
Maybe if I had it I would get use out of it, but I kind of like my old fashioned
system for now.

cara

Sophie wrote:
This question comes from a nifty thing I finally found today that I hope
will be perfect. I found magnetic strips that are calendar weeks and you
write on them with a dry erase marker. I've put 2 weeks at a time on the
fridge.

With my OB appointments, weekly fetal medicine specialist appointments,
coffee dates, kids school reminders (who needs to take what with them),
kids' appointments (dentist, doctor), daycare times, etc...I have soooooo
many pieces of paper all over the place and inevitably I forget *something*.

I thought I'd found the perfect thing with a Mom's Organizer Calendar. It
has a line for each family member, stickers for reminders like swim meet,
recital, dentist, etc...but it wasn't easy to read honestly.

So how do you keep organized?

Sophie
#4 due 7/7/04 - 4th c-section



Not well, I'm afraid.

There's a calendar in the kitchen where all appt.'s go - if
it's not there, I miss it (like the girl's dentist
appointments 6 months ago that I did't show up for.) I'm
also training the girls that anything that I have to sign
for school is their responsibility - don't mention it once
and lay it down, bug me about it.

I'm not a terribly organized person, and the paper swamp is
a killer, but one thing that keeps me sane is to completely
plan grocery shopping every week. I plot the meals and all
ingredients. If I flew by the seat of my pants on that one,
I'd always be one ingredient short!

How's the baby, Sophie? Things still looking okay?

Lesley

cara wrote:

It seems kind of archaic, but I have a paper planner, just calendar booklet from
the local university bookstore with days of the week and I write in what I need
to do and when and just refer to it daily. My mom offered to get me a palm
pilot last christmas but I just didn't think I would end up using it that much.
Maybe if I had it I would get use out of it, but I kind of like my old fashioned
system for now.

How old are your kids? I was fine with a paper
system until mine got older and got involved in a bunch
of activities. When that happened, I was away from home
too much and schlepping around too much, so having everything
(addresses, phone numbers, calendar, etc.) on a teeny tiny
PDA became a real asset. If it weren't for that, a paper
planner would still do me just fine.

Best wishes,
Ericka