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Angie Mc
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Can you all help me to brainstorm principles and tools to help organize my maturing family? We want to use technology to help us to meet, plan, coordinate and track our projects.
Here's our team:
Dh: works 2 jobs, is on call 24-7, travels willy nilly, hopes to increase physical fitness. Has laptop and cell phone.
Me: homeschooling, driving, and managing household and family. Have cell phone and desktop.
Dd: in college full time, living 30 miles from home, holds down several jobs. Has laptop, cell phone, and may give me her netbook
Ds1: will have diver's license soon, attends high school for 1 class (baseball) and on baseball team. Has laptop, cell phone.
Ds2: on club ball baseball team. Has cell phone.
Ds3: 6yo somehow thrives on all this! Has a mobigo  .
Here are some principles:
Commit.
Teamwork.
100%
Build a strong foundation.
Base projects on highest priorities.
Single task.
If it isn't written down, it isn't a great plan A.
Anticipate plan B.
Have written detailed plans for projects.
Delegate down.
Streamline paper trail.
Some tools we're considering:
Have everyone use Google calendar.
new cell phones - we have a mix and may consolidate. I love my blackberry but have never loved Outlook with it. I'm willing to switch everything.
Go to Meeting or similar online meeting place.
Need something for to-do list if I'm scrapping Outlook. Has anyone used Remember the Milk? Can I add reminders to my family's to-do lists?
Binders: I need to update my Family Management Binder. I like having hard copies of "Foundation" tasks (cleaning, cooking, etc.) and "Projects".
Tickler File: Has anyone run a successful tickler file for whole family usage? I need something to catch our paper work.
That's it for now. I look forward to seeing what is working for you now and/or what you're hoping to implement in 2012. Thanks for any and all help!
Love,
__________________
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)
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Dec 30 2011 at 11:08pm | IP Logged
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Angie,
I too have an older family greatly in need of organizing while we juggle various family members' jobs, time at home, caring for mil, outside activities, prescriptions, appointments, etc. etc. etc. (said in my best King and I voice!) ~ all while trying desperately to keep up with homeschooling ~ thank God for lesson plans and dc who follow them faithfully!
We don't have any techie methods of organizing our life, so please disregard anything I might say which doesn't suit your request! Several things are saving my sanity right now ~ perhaps some will apply:
~making sure every family member has updated medical history, emergency contact information and all important phone numbers on a single sheet of paper in their wallets (w/ data stored in our main computer), just in case cell phones get lost or we're away from home and can't remember certain information.
~tracking all appointments and schedules on purse-size and wall size calendars, faithfully kept in traveling containers, purse or totes. I'm sure there's a great technological way to do it all, with just one click of a button ~ I just don't have the energy or brain power to learn something new right now, therefore I've succombed to the reality that I'm better off adhering to tried and true methods.
~sorting a week's supply of vitamins, supplements and prescriptions for every person who needs them ~ saves a lot of time and is a great way of checking whether everyone takes what they need at the appropriate times. (We had to institute this practice for mil, since no one in the family was aware of her medicine regime and there are different family members caring for her at various times). Dc were also sick at home with an older sibling during the busiest week of caring for dh's mother ~ I loaded up those 7-day containers with as many immunity building supplements as we had on hand and gave them with several pocket size bottles of hand sanitizer to use ~ much to the chagrin of certain younger family members! But, they've been healthier ever since ~ and I'm praying we can all remain healthy until mil recovers enough to need less care!
~a ready supply of post-it notes, binder clips and pens in every location we tend to land (family command center at home, vehicles, mil's house, purse etc.).
~keeping utility totes, backpacks or gear bags filled and ready for our next rotation from place to place ~ we have them packed with clothing, fencing gear, medications and supplements, hygiene products, etc. If your family's constantly on the go it can save so much time and effort to keep things packed and ready for the next event, rather than unpacking and repacking over and over again.
~trying to fit in family prayer time seems to happen mostly when we're traveling, but it helps us feel grounded, even when we're on the run! Dc have also been very faithful to have prayertimes when dh and I are both away from home ~ esp. when dh is at work and I'm away caring for mil.
~I'm not sure what a tickler file is, but we have a hanging multicolor Pendaflex wall file inside our broom closet door that holds most essential papers ~ it's been a lifesaver, literally. The file came in handy late last night when our 5.5 lb. chihuahua ate a third of a 9x13 pan of chocolate brownies ~ I knew right where to find his vet file! Our little chocolate thief survived ~ thanks to the internet, calm reassurance from Pilgrim and other family members ~ several activated charcoal tablets and a couple homeopathic remedies later he's his usual little yippy self! Now, we just have to deal with pee all over several layers of bedding from our new bichon pup, Bella, which dh lovingly let me bring home, just before life seemed to explode in a 1000 different directions! Fortunately one of our dc has taken her under his wing, gives her lots of TLC and is a natural at training and discipline.
~I'm immensely grateful for older children we can "delegate down" to!!! Years of building those strong foundations sure pay off at times like this!
I absolutely love all the principles you listed! We like to add a prayer during grace before meals which ends with asking our Lord to help us to do His will in everything we think and say and do, 110%! May it always be so!!!!!
Praying 2012 is truly grace-filled and fruitful for your family and everyone on 4Real!
__________________
All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 02 2012 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
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First, check out the Cozi Family Organizer - one account links the entire family and organizes across a spectrum of features like menus/meal plans, family calendar, to do lists, shopping lists, family journal, etc. There is an app for COZI for iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry. I'm thinking this one app might solve a number of the challenges you're looking to manage!! And it's free! 
Now, I'm going to recommend something a little radical. I'm doing so because you said a few things:
AngieMc wrote:
We want to use technology
Streamline paper trail.
Have everyone use Google calendar.
new cell phones - we have a mix and may consolidate. I love my blackberry but have never loved Outlook with it. I'm willing to switch everything. |
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I'm going to recommend that you consider iPhones for everyone. The 3G phones, which are NOT the latest version of iPhone, can often be purchased for very little, making this a more affordable option than you might think.
If you all consolidate to iPhones, you will still have all the smartphone useability you're used to, with the nifty-intuitive-connectedness of the iPhone.
For many of the goals you listed, you can find useful apps to help you track. An example would be your dh's desire to increase physical fitness. There are great apps for tracking, setting goals, and customizing for your fitness level. I'd be happy to list the flotilla of home management apps I use that are a real help to me on my iPhone. As well as home management, I like that I can easily email and get online to stay connected.
** iCal - This is similar to google calendar. What's great about it is the family calendar can be shared so you all see it on your phones. You can invite individuals to see a single calendar entry, or you can allow everyone in the family to see all your calendars. You can tell it to alarm to remind you of something upcoming, you can attach notes, web addresses, phone numbers, etc. AND....you can create multiple calendars - so you might have a baseball calendar, a hubby-only calendar with special plans for the two of you, a home repair calendar with to-do's you'd like to complete by certain goal dates, a calendar with Devin's schedule on it so you'll know when she's coming and going, etc. You can view one calendar at a time, or layer them all one on top of the other. A useful app to run with iCal is CalPrint which allows you to print your calendars (which may or may not be important since you're looking to streamline paper trail, but when there is a super busy week, sometimes it's easier to print a calendar so an entire day can be easily viewed.)
** iCal makes delegating chores or tasks simple, especially if everyone is connected to the same calendar and using iphones. Just set up a task on your calendar, invite the person you'd like to delegate that task to view that calendar (you enter their email address as an invitee, and iCal automatically emails them an invite with pertinent info. on the task you created in iCal.) All you need to do is assign a reminder alert for the event.
** Another useful feature of an iphone is a lockable file app. Different folks have different comfort levels on this, so I'll trust that if this is weird sounding you'll just discount it. BUT...while updating your home management binder, I would submit that you could probably carry just about all the information in that binder in an app on your phone, have it at your finger tips, and if there is something sensitive there (medical info, social security numbers, etc), you can put them in a locked, password encrypted folder.
** Another feature of iphones which I think you're family would really like is facetime, which would allow you to video chat with your dh when he's out of town, with Devin, etc. It's a way of staying connected, and it happens on Apple's networks, in other words, this isn't a part of a data package, or anything you get charged for. You just need the iphone. HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT...in order to enjoy facetime, you'll need the 4G phones, which are pricier. Here is an option though - Dad could get the 4G, and use facetime with his phone while he's out of town, and mom and kids could use home computer to talk to dad rather than using their phones.
***************************************
I know that what I've basically done is plug the iPhone, but I did so because I know your family enjoys using technology as a tool, and because you said you're considering changing your current phones to assist you in staying organized as a family. AND...I know you'll just disregard this if it isn't a good option for your family. Like you, we enjoy using our iphones to stay connected as a family, and to stay organized. I find the iPhone intuitive, user-friendly, and an incredibly useful tool for the tech-savvy mom. The number of apps available for use in terms of home management and home education is astounding!
***************************************************
I wanted to give you a brief run down of how I use mine to organize and manage home and away from home life (the app is listed first with a brief description of how I use it). Many of these are probably similar to ones available on your smartphone. I'm only listing apps I use as a tool to help me in being productive in my vocation.
** NOTES - create wish lists, shopping lists, favorite wine lists, and more and email to husband, daughter directly from app
** REMINDERS - simply app, just reminds me of things that I don't list on a calendar.
** LISTPRO - favorite list making app, organize my regular grocery shopping routine here, check off items, arrange items by dept in store to streamline shopping, create to-do lists to share with dh, create master packing lists for quick and organized packing for trips
** CONTACTS - keep all contacts, addresses, phone numbers, email, etc. here.
** MAPS - GPS connected, enter any address and find a route there from iphone, shows traffic so you can avoid congested routes
** TWITTER - for staying connected to news and local events
** A variety of WEATHER apps
** iCAL - which I explained above
** FLASHCARDS - for Latin vocabulary, or Baltimore Catechism quizzing while on the road
** KHAN MOBILE - useful for watching Khan academy lectures on a heavy errand day (dd 10th grade is watching the Biology series right now). Note - this app will not track the lecture as viewed, so if you're tracking Khan Acad. lecture series you'll have to fix this manually on your home computer later. You can watch any Khan Acad demo though, so this could be used to bolster any subject for any student to grab a few lectures on the go in between dentist, baseball practice, grocery, and other errands.
** SCAN PAGES - takes a picture of a page and turns it into a scanned image (saved as pdf or jpeg) which is then cleaned up, crisper, and you can then export that to email, evernote, dropbox, google docs or a gallery. Useful to snap images of recipes, or articles you want to save.
** COZI - which was the first app I recommended at the top of this post. I think it may be exactly what you're looking for!
** EPICURIOUS - a fantastic free app for looking up recipes and organizing favorites, making shopping lists, etc.
** FEEDLY - so I can read my favorite blogs while on the go.
** A VARIETY OF HOME ED APPS
*****************************************************
If you do nothing else but check out Cozi I think you'll be in good shape, but I had to give the iPhone a plug as a useful family and home organizing and staying connected tool. 
__________________
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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CrunchyMom
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Cozi looks really great!
I also thought I'd throw TeuxDeux out there as our new favorite app. It is very streamlined and simple but useful. You can also have access to multiple TeuxDeux accounts from your phone. However, I'm pretty sure they don't have a Blackberry app yet and it is just for iPhone.
I think that Reminders now has a calendar, and you can have it repeat things daily, weekly, biweekly, etc..., list the time, etc... I haven't used it yet, but have intentions of utilizing its new features in the coming year.
Another plug for iPhones, you can text other iPhones without it counting towards your dataplan. I don't have an iPhone, but I have an iPad, and dh has an iPhone, and we can text each other with Messages.
I have not used a tickler file, personally, but I did read the book How to Get Things Done, and though it is intended for business men and women, if memory serves, it might have some ideas for utilizing it.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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Well away from i-phones... I love google calendar. I can set up multiple calendars to cover different sports and scouts so that I can look at the boy scout calendar to know what my oldest son has coming up.. with whatever sport he's doing at the time calendar.. and can see any conflicts just for him. I can pull up the family calendar with more generic stuff. I have a calendar that's just daily tasks around the house.. like whose turn it is to do dishes.. and what day does the trash need to go to the curb. dh has a calendar for the fire department so I can see any weekends that he has to be doing stuff for that (training weekends and the like)
but I really like that I can turn on and off calendars so that I can see particular calendars alone or in combination with specific other calendars.
I put birthdays and anniversaries in a seperate calendar just so I can have them show in a different color from my basic calendar.
I get an email every morning with a summary of my days events as well.
I find there to be a lot of flexibility with google calendar.
__________________
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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kristacecilia
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I second Cozi!! It's fantastic and you can access it on any internet device and there are apps for almost every mobile device. One account for the family, everyone gets assigned a color, everyone can be assigned tasks and lists and appointments. Sooooo helpful!
__________________
God bless,
Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: Jan 02 2012 at 5:58pm | IP Logged
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Another iPhone recommendation. But even children who don't need a mobile phone could use an iPod. I only have an iPod Touch since I am home all day and don't really need the phone. So no monthly fee, but all the same app access. Plus you can still text other Apple devices for free if you are on wifi. So for those kids who are around the house all day but still need access to the apps, an iPod Touch might be a good compromise.
__________________
God bless,
Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Jan 02 2012 at 11:45pm | IP Logged
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Oh goodness! We just ordered 3 Android Charges because we assumed the iphones were to costly. Dh just found reasonably priced 3g iphones via Verizon. My dd is looking at it right now to see if we want to switch our order! Thanks so much Jen and all for helping us out! I'll keep you posted .
Thanks all!
Love,
__________________
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)
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 6:49am | IP Logged
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I just found something for you, Angie...Fring lets you facetime (videochat) with Android phones, and it's free. Thought I'd mention it....in case you stayed with the Androids because it's such a great way to stay connected with Dad if he travels a lot, or even family if they're a longer distance.
AND....I'm DYING to know what you got!!!! Do update us with your phone choice, and ESPECIALLY if you find some other handy tech-nifty tools for organization! 
__________________
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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stellamaris
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 7:23am | IP Logged
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Jen's ideas are so great! I looked into Cozi and I think it could be very useful for organizing our family here. Thanks for the tip!
Having said that, I have to add that the older my children get, the more my family organization efforts look like this:
Wonderment and Bafflement:
 
Moments of Joy and Surprise:
Chagrin:
   
And me just throwing it all up in the air, like so:
__________________
In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:13pm | IP Logged
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Sorry for the cliff hanger!
And the winner is...
__________________
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)
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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iPhones!
Devin, Aiden, and I will receive ours tomorrow . Thanks so much for pointing us in the right direction, Jen. We got the 3G for the same deal we were going to get with the droids, so all we gave up was 4G and seeing as I don't even know what 3G is - I'm good .
I can't WAIT to get going on all this good stuff...and to have friends to share the fun with  .
More soon!
Love,
__________________
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)
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:35pm | IP Logged
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Angie, we have Verizon and iPhones. I think we have 3G, and facetime seems to work with that.
Jen, is Cozi a replacement for iCal or Google Calendar? I find I can coordinate Google Calendar for my iPhone -- haven't tried iCal yet, since I"m not a Mac user.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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WAHOO!!!!!!
Can't wait for you to start sharing the useful tools you find to use with it!!
You'll probably want to consider a cover (yet another dizzying decision). Since I'm so good at recommending for everyone else, may I recommend Otterbox covers for the fellas, and Speck covers for the ladies.
Otterbox = solid, most protection, total coverage, best drop protection. Rob prefers his Otterbox. The drawback for me is that an Otterbox is rubbery and catches and pulls out hair. Ouch!! This is bearable one or two times, but every time you pick up the phone to talk, you lose a handful of hair which is why I recommend....
Speck phone covers (linking you to the covers for 3G phones) don't offer as much protection as the Otterbox, but are still good covers. They will not cover the screen, but they do cushion the phone. The cover itself is a smooth plastic which, thankfully, does not pull hair. I drop mine in my purse and bag all the time and the cover protects it.
Happy iphone day tomorrow, Angie!! Can't wait to share the fun with you!
__________________
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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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:42pm | IP Logged
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Mackfam wrote:
WAHOO!!!!!!
Can't wait for you to start sharing the useful tools you find to use with it!!
You'll probably want to consider a cover (yet another dizzying decision). Since I'm so good at recommending for everyone else, may I recommend Otterbox covers for the fellas, and Speck covers for the ladies.
Otterbox = solid, most protection, total coverage, best drop protection. Rob prefers his Otterbox. The drawback for me is that an Otterbox is rubbery and catches and pulls out hair. Ouch!! This is bearable one or two times, but every time you pick up the phone to talk, you lose a handful of hair which is why I recommend....
Speck phone covers (linking you to the covers for 3G phones) don't offer as much protection as the Otterbox, but are still good covers. They will not cover the screen, but they do cushion the phone. The cover itself is a smooth plastic which, thankfully, does not pull hair. I drop mine in my purse and bag all the time and the cover protects it.
Happy iphone day tomorrow, Angie!! Can't wait to share the fun with you! |
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I'm not Angie, but dh and I just got new iPhones, so all this is helpful. I do need something for the screen...it's just getting too dirty for me.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:46pm | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
| Jen, is Cozi a replacement for iCal or Google Calendar? I find I can coordinate Google Calendar for my iPhone -- haven't tried iCal yet, since I"m not a Mac user. |
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Yes, it can be. If you don't use iCal already, the Cozi calendar is wonderful, and functions well to coordinate all those family members that are connected on your Cozi account. If you do use another calendar already, like iCal or google calendar, you can import those calendars directly into Cozi, which is a HUGE help!!! I still like iCal for its functionality, but I find that I really like Cozi's calendar for family events that everyone needs to be connected to....errands, appointments, events, lessons outside the home, etc. I think Cozi's ability to connect all the family and update lists, to-do's, calendar from one site is super convenient.
AND....since we're talking about Cozi, I love their meal planner. They offer a link you can add to your bookmarks toolbar so you can build a database of favorite recipes from around the web and use it to easily build menus and shopping lists. I wrote to them not long ago to ask if the meal planner section would ever be functional on the mobile app and they're working on that feature.
__________________
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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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 04 2012 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
| I do need something for the screen...it's just getting too dirty for me. |
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There are screen covers you can get, and the Otterbox does cover the screen, but they all have drawbacks you'll want to consider.
** Otterbox - the screen, in fact, the entire phone is encased and the screen has a heavy, transparent film over it. The thing about it that I didn't like is that it bubbles between the screen and the film. And you have to make sure the screen is completely, 100% totally clean before you put the Otterbox on. Even if you get a tiny little piece of dust in there it will get between the screen and film and cause problems. And, you'll still have trouble keeping the Otterbox film clean. The bubbles between the Otterbox film and screen really annoyed me! But, to be fair, they don't get in the way of the functionality of the phone.
** Screen films you can buy and apply - these do exist and will keep your screen cleaner, but they are a royal pain to apply and you'll likely have to waste a few films just getting the technique down because the film has to line up EXACTLY over the little openings on the phone. After a little bit of time dust begins to creep in under openings and becomes an irritant. AND....you still have the problem of keeping that film clean.
Having tried both the Otterbox with cover and the film, I've ended up with just a Speck cover and the iphone screen. I keep a small microfiber cloth in my purse, and one in a common location at home and wipe the screen daily (sometimes multiple times daily). It cleans the screen nicely. Any microfiber cloth will do, but a cleaning washcloth works except that it's too big, just cut it into quarters and serge/zig-zag the edges then there's one for your purse, two for the house, and one for your husband to tuck in his car or pocket for his phone.
__________________
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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kristacecilia
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Mackfam wrote:
| I wrote to them not long ago to ask if the meal planner section would ever be functional on the mobile app and they're working on that feature. |
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YES! 
I am glad you wrote them. I have been meaning to! I am desperate to be able to access my meal plans on my iPod.
Carol, who runs Cozi, is SOOO nice, too. When I first got it I had trouble getting it to run properly and she walked me through everything. You can like them on FB.
__________________
God bless,
Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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kristacecilia
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Joined: Feb 05 2010
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Posts: 677
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| Posted: Jan 05 2012 at 6:22am | IP Logged
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As for cases, we all have Otterboxes. I am not that bothered by the bubbles or dust as Jen is  .
We find they work really well. DH has one for his phone. Yes, though, you do have to wipe them clean, too. You don't have to worry about scratching your screen while doing it, however.
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God bless,
Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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Kath
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| Posted: Jan 05 2012 at 6:45am | IP Logged
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Jenn, I have a screen film on my iPhone. I stopped by a Verizon store to buy one and they put it on for me, so that was easy. However, it does still get super smudged just like the actual screen and it will need to be replaced every so often. I just wipe the screen on my pants/skirt every so often (not the most advanced way of dealing with it, but hey . . . ).
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Katherine
Mom to ds 8, ds 5, and ds 3
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Organizing the Older Family
