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guitarnan
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 12:39pm | IP Logged
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Keeping track of your family members' schedules can be a real challenge. Do you have a tried-and-true way of maintaining calendar sanity? Vote in our poll and tell us what works for you.
You're welcome to vote more than once.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 12:50pm | IP Logged
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Catholic Wall Calender and...
Goggle Calender and...
my cell phone calender
Notices from Goggle go to my email.. my cell phone has the reminder alarm set on appt. that I need to be somewhere at a particular time.. usually an hour before so I have time to get us all moving in the right direction to make it.
I'm actually planning on going down and finding out how much more it will cost for unlimited text messages on my phone. I don't like putting things like tasks around the house on my cell phone because then when I look at the calender every day is highlighted making it harder to know which days I have things I have to go and do vs days that I'm home all day. I will put a "reminder" calender on Goggle and have text messages sent to my phone from that instead. It would be sooo nice to get that audible reminder whereever I am that I have to get dinner started (trying to get an earlier dinner time established.. it's not going so well)
But really.. I rarely forget things when I'm being good about getting them into all 3 calenders. And I can usually get to everything on time. Which is pretty amazing for me when you consider that before I had reminders from my phone that I could go all day and not know what day it is.. let alone what I had going on.  Though there's also the fact that things have gotten more busy since the time I started using the phone so I would have had less to remember back before my cell phone (about 3.5 yrs ago)
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
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That's my problem, Jodie. Making sure the events are on all the calendars. I use a wall calendar, Michele's planner, and then trying to use more reminders from Google or Outlook. The cell phone would be a good idea.
Sometimes my problem is that I remember the events, but lose track of time, so a timer and alerts and such bring me back to reality and fit the event into the time slot for me.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 12:57pm | IP Logged
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yes that's it exactly.. I lose track of time easily so I need something to "grab me" and make me pay attention. And that's what the alarms do for me.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 1:37pm | IP Logged
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I had a post all typed up, then went back to add a vote for "other", and somehow lost the post.
I originally voted for wall calendar. Our calendar hangs inside our pantry door on an awesome display board (purchased at the last minute, while leaving a garage sale, for 50 cents..thank you St. Anthony!). All our keys, dog leashes, and "to-go" items hang on hooks above the calendar, making it a universally viewed spot. Appts. and events are color-coded for each individual family member (colored pens & highlighters hang in a small wall basket on a hook beneath the calendar). The board with all its hooks and central calendar has become one of our best organizational tools ever! Our only challenge has been getting certain unnamed family members to report schedules or appts for recording. 
We just begun attaching small tags from prescription bags on the side of our calendar, beside the week they need to be refilled. We also record the projected prescription in Quicken, along with doctor or vet appts. Since our Quicken is filled in with projected budget expenses for the entire year (and sometimes beyond), it works really well to include appointments and prescriptions that will eventually require an entry in our Quicken anyway.
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All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
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Erin
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I voted 'Wall Calendar' and 'Scribbled List on Paper'.
For events further away, doctor's appointment's, dh's exams etc I write on the wall calendar.
For the children's weekly/term work/sports commitments I write up a list; scribbled or typed and hang on the fridge, sometimes I scribble daily changes on the whiteboard for dh. Then I email dh at work and remind him of which children he has to pick up and from where on his way home.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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google and ipod touch and wall calendar here.... wall calendar my "ideal" but never happens, google the most reliable, easiest and efficient. we send each other "invites" all the time.
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stef
mom to five
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
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I've used Michelle's Family Centered Press Catholic Woman's planner/calendar for several years now and love it. I have the smaller size which is nice because I can shove it in my bag when we go to the library, etc and have all my lists, plans, etc with me if I need them. So, I almost voted purse-sized, but really it is a little large to be truly purse-sized I think, so I voted pre-printed planner.
Oh, gosh, that reminds me, it is nearly time to re-order!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Mimip
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 4:03pm | IP Logged
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I voted for google calendar or similar since I could not live without my itouch. Ever since we got it just a few moths ago I have transfered everything to it and I love the different calendars on ical.
I LOVE ICAL!!!!!!!!!
All my stuff is in the ical and the reminders are awesome!!!
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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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greengables
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 4:14pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
I've used Michelle's Family Centered Press Catholic Woman's planner/calendar for several years now and love it. I have the smaller size which is nice because I can shove it in my bag when we go to the library, etc and have all my lists, plans, etc with me if I need them. So, I almost voted purse-sized, but really it is a little large to be truly purse-sized I think, so I voted pre-printed planner.
Oh, gosh, that reminds me, it is nearly time to re-order! |
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Thanks Lapazfarm for this because I also use Michelle's planner and I wasn't sure which one to vote for. This is my first year using her planner and I just LOVE it! I have become more organized with each passing month! It goes with me everywhere! I use the extra pages to organize all sorts of things and to take notes when I am out. 
Thank you, Michelle!
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May God bless you,
Greengables - wife to best friend and mother to 11 blessings on earth
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KC in TX
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 7:52pm | IP Logged
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I voted wall calendar, but I really use my brain to keep it all there. It's just the way I'm made. Dates and times always stick once it gets put in there. Now, if only I could organize my house the way my brain is organized. Sigh.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Oct 19 2010 at 8:11pm | IP Logged
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WOOHOO - I stopped and talked to cell phone people and I can now have Google Calender txt message my phone with reminders 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Oct 20 2010 at 5:04pm | IP Logged
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The system I have right now is my MOST FAVORITE yet!
Currently I use:
Outlook (synced to my home computer and my...)
Blackberry smart phone
It took awhile to get myself up and running but now I literally don't want to be without either. I love having everything I need in one place...especially my overlaying calendars. Everyone here 11 years and older knows to go to the computer to "check the calendar."
I also LOVE sending myself quick texts to keep track of little things.
PLUS
I am using Michelle's small planner for ME ME ME! I leave it in my room, sitting prettily on my side table, to read in the morning before I leave my room to face the day, to add thoughts connected to spiritual reading/prayer, and again at night to remind me about tomorrow. I love holding it and writing in it...I missed that peaceful, tactile experience when I went paperless years ago. No one looks in it except ME so it is growing into something very lovely.
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
About Me
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anitamarie
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I use Michelle's planner as well. I really like it. I have the larger version. It sits open on my desk for all to see.
Anita
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JaysFamily
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Michelle's small planners stand up very well in purses!  Mine is almost always with me, either in my house, car, or purse. Most people think I'm weird for not having one of those smart phones or an ipod or something, but I'm a klutz and this calendar never breaks when I drop it! 
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In Christ,
Jaysfamily
wife to Jay
mother to DS(5)
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 20 2010 at 5:26pm | IP Logged
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I think I will always use a wall calendar or planner, just because the act of writing and assigning something to a date commits it to memory more easily than typing it.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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sewcrazy
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I have a BIG wall calendar, so everyone can see it. Older children are expected to write their events into their grids on the calendar.
I also have a purse sized planner to jot stuff down as I learn about them, and to be able to set up appointments when I am away from the house.
And I have Google calendar with txt message updates to keep me on track during the day.
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LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Oct 20 2010 at 9:18pm | IP Logged
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I'm a split of paper and technology...but it works very well for me!!
PAPER:
I have used the large planner for years and love it!! I write my to-do's and big project lists on Michele's planner. I plan our school roadmap on this planner as well (things like when our terms begin and end and any breaks we take). I also write appointments on the planner.
TECHNOLOGY:
I just recently got an iphone and I admit that I'm in with the tool it can be! I sync with my ical on my computer which offers reminders of appointments for me and will text my phone. All my contacts and lists and even my budget app is on there...all in one place! I like to use the large planner which doesn't fit in my purse for transport (and I forget to bring it places anyway); I like that I always have my phone with me when I'm out. If I'm making an appt. out, I can go right to my ical, check my calendar, make a new appt. that doesn't conflict with other outings/appts.
So...it's a blending of paper and tech that seems to work. But...I don't think I'm in a real groove yet with the phone and the tools it has because it's still pretty new.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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hylabrook1
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Well, I"m one of the "other" people. I calendar things in an engagement planner book - 2011 is a big splurge on a French Country Diary, which is so beautiful and can count as a Christmas gift (this is how I justify the splurge ). Every week, I write out our days on looseleaf paper which I keep on a clipboard. So what I do is incorporate the calendar, the regular out of the house things, the housecleaning, phone calls to make, and so on (you get the idea) so that I have about half a page of everything in front of my face at the same time. Reviewing and writing it all out weekly helps me remember what I'll be needing to do. I would be no good with iCal, because unless I write it out in longhand it leaves my brain.
Peace,
Nancy
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violingirl
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| Posted: Oct 21 2010 at 9:44am | IP Logged
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I voted pda/cellphone since that is what we use for scheduled stuff, but I have a spreadsheet for other "to do" things that occur on a regular basis like cleaning tasks and errands to run. Our school plans are also in a spreadsheet.
If I didn't have to keep a schedule for work I'm sure I'd do everything in the spreadsheet.
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Erin
DS (2005) DS (2007) DD (2012)
Mama In Progress
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Tracking Your Family's Schedules (
