Counting the Days - how I schedule to keep it all together

Last year was pretty busy for us.  We were running a household and a business, attempting to complete some home projects and prepare for the arrival of a new baby.  It was just too much to remember and our kitchen calendar could barely hold it all.  So, I devised a new plan.  I divided up our schedules into several calendars and planners.  Sounds crazy I know.  But hear me out, it is not as crazy as it seems.

First is my kitchen calendar.  It hangs within easy view for everyone in the family.  This is my general family calendar.  It has quick reminders of appointments and other things you may need to know at a glance.  Anyone can add an item and because it’s a shared calendar I will know if  my husband has a work trip planned or the baby has a doctor appointment coming up.

The other planners are divided into categories.  The pocket sized ones are held together with an elastic band so they don’t separate and get lost in my purse.  One is for all the passwords I don’t have auto saved and anything I may need to know to work or access business accounts even when I can’t get to the office.  I put similar reminders in the calendar like I have on the kitchen calendar.  I keep them both reconciled on a regular basis so nothing slips through the cracks.  Why don’t I put reminders on my phone you may be asking.  My phone is often keeping a toddler occupied or buried in my purse.  I dont check my email but once a month at best and I tend to ignore most alerts.  I have always retained information best when I write it down and I can see everything easier on the page.  Plus I can color code, highlight or whatever I like when using paper versus an electronic device.

My work and homeschool schedule can get out of control if I don’t keep it straight.  Using the same book for both allows me to keep it balanced.  Teachers have lesson plans.  This is essentially the same thing for me.  I use the monthly calendar for knowing. Where I will be each day of the week, home or the office.  I can also write if we are going out for a field trip or a shopping day.  No guessing what we were supposed to do today.  The weekly calendar is where I can be more detailed about our plans.  I can even write down lunch plans and lesson ideas.

The last book is a leather zippered journal.  It can easily be changed to a new book ready for use.  I can slip notes, receipts, photos or other items I may need to reference later without worrying about them getting lost.  This book stays at home.  Inside I use two pages for all my personal planning and anything I want to keep track of like WW points, water intake, meal planning for dinner, shopping lists, plans for the day, important reminders, you get the idea.  I use inexpensive planner stickers and washi tape for reminders and quick visual reference.  These sheets are from Dollar Tree but you can find them just about anywhere these days.  

So that’s it.  One shared family calendar, a portable version for anytime reference and a personal planner.  It works for me.  It may be too much for you.  I hope any of these ideas can inspire other busy moms like me.  What do you do to keep it together?  I would love to know.