Manic Mommy Monday -

Last week I talked about meal planning, which is something I cannot function without. The other thing I can't make it through a week without is my calendar system.


I often tell people that I'm a very organized person…at least on paper. (Off paper…well, that's another story!) I have a personal day planner and a family calendar, and I know that if it doesn't written down on those, it won't get done. Writing things down is the only way to make sure we all know what's going on. Here's what I'm learned about my systems…

• Personal day planner

I've come to depend on my day planner so much that I refer to it as "my brain." It goes everywhere with me. I even have it color-coded (I carry highlighters in my car…I know, I sound really OCD) so I can tell at a glance what anyone's schedule is. In it are my important phone numbers and addresses, book and movie lists, a page of passwords and contact info for work, and more. Anything I might need on a daily basis is there.

There are tons of really good, affordable personal calendar systems available. Personally, I am a huge fan of Franklin Covey, especially their Franklin Covey 365 line at Target. I started out with a personal size ring-bound planner, which you can buy for around $20. It worked great until I started college, when I realized I would need a bigger planner with more space. I loved the flexibility of a ring-bound planner - I could add as many pages and whatever kind of pages I needed.

I switched to a Franklin Covey Simplicity for Moms wire-bound planner, which I bought at Office Depot for around $25. I paired it with a great cover I found at Target for $15 and I was done.

I love the cover because it includes pockets for loose papers, business card slots, and a pen holder. I found a cute one with a cover that can be easily wiped clean. The larger wire-bound planner is much lighter than a ring-bound of it's size, and the Simplicity for Moms has tons of useful pages, including school information, activity/lesson planner pages, and an allowance tracker.

To me, a personal planner is an absolute necessity. You can corral all your notes and information into one area and can find whatever you need at a glance. It's worth th

Next week I'll talk about family calendars and the great options I've found for those,  including a really awesome online family calendar.