Best Calendar

bear in mind that I'm a teacher... have you thought about the 16x20 desk calendar's that can be hung on the wall?

I love the "Mom's Family Calendar" by Sandra Boynton. It is big, has boxes to write in for every day, you see the whole month at a glance, and it has a separate column for each member of the family. It is also cute and funny, and comes with stickers for birthdays, appointments, etc. Even my friend's husband asked where we got it (Costco, but I also saw it at Joanne). This is the 2nd year I bought this calendar, and I hope they keep making it!

I use the More Time for Moms calendar. I beleive they have a website, but you can find it at borders too. Monthly wall calendar with big lined spaces, and a few recipes inside as well. My sister can't live without cozi. I think I saw it mentioned in another mom's post. I'm a paper gal myself and can't bring myself to do an electronic calendar yet.

good luck!

Ok...I am such a big fan of electronic calendars because it syncs with my cell phone and I get to take it wherever I go all in one place. I use Google's very own calendar that comes with if you use gmail. The part that I love the most about it is that you can open one up per kid or one for work, school, etc...however you want to separate and you can print it all in one. Or just choose to print it with whichever you want showing in your calendar. I also get to send and sync it to my husband's email and calendar.

If you want a really great wall and book calendar --- Check out BusyBodyBook.com !!! Love them!!! So easy to use, and perfect for Mommies. I've used this before, but had to consolidate everything with my electronic calendar and I really miss it at times.

Good Luck!

:-)M.
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J.,
There are Mom calendars out there that are the size of the weekly planner (can put it in your purse). I bought one once, but can't remember why I didn't use it: www.thedailyplanner.com/momagenda-desktopchocolate-p-1149... I think I've seen ones cheaper than this one.

In our home, we use the Sandra Boynton wall calendar and it works really well, but it does mean that I have an additional calendar that I carry with me to work. http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/moms-family-calendar.html

Good luck,

S.
mom of 7 y.o. and 4 y.o.

I love the one that google has. If you have a gmail account, there is a link to the calendar at the top. You can use different labels and colors for different family members or types of activities. It will email you twice before a planned activity (I have mine set up to alert me 24 hours before and 2 hours before an activity, and if my calendar is open on the desk top, an alert will pop up on my screen), and if you want, it can send you mobile alerts to your cell phone. There's nothing to download, and it's accessible from any computer. And it's free!

Hi J.,

I am not sure if this is the best calendar out there, as I am using it for the first time. I am used to a big fridge calendar too, and liked seeing a whole month at a time just like you. I bought a Day Runner Agenda desk calendar. The nice thing about it is that it has little tabs for each month so that you can easily flip to any month and it has a full calendar at the start of each month. The whole month-at-aglance is small, but it is a nice feature. With a lot of kids, it may not be the right calendar. I would imagine there are bigger versions of this out there. Maybe that would work for you. I bought mine at Walmart. Good Luck organizing your life!

Sandra Boynton's "Mom's Calander". It is bright yellow on the front. Inside it has big slots for writing in activities for up to five people, each day of the month. (The mom I nanny for has one. She uses the fifth slot to fill in my hours each week) This in correlation with a large desk top calander would be great for scheduling events and acivites for your whole family.

I simply use the calendar on my cellphone. You can set it to remind you at anytime. And you can bring up the whole month as well. I couldnt live without it and I always have my cellphone on me. Why carry something else with you?

I put everything into my outlook calender on my laptop. I print it out everytime I change it. I keep a copy on the fridge, in my purse and email one to my sitter. It pops up and reminds me of meetings, trips, bills and everything! Can be printed out a day, week or month at a time. I could not live without it! Plus if you have a windows program on your phone, it will sync with it!

Hi J.,

I have gone through soooo many planners and calendars that it is ridiculous!! LOL

This is what I've found works for us. I have a 2 month dry erase calendar (I believe I bought it at OfficeMax several years ago. They also have a 4 month calendar out there somewhere) that hangs on the wall in the dining room going to the kitchen...so we pass by it several times a day! I also have it color coded by family members that helps out tremendously!!!

I used to use a weekly planner, but like you, could never fit everything in...even with using abbreviations. So now, I have my smart phone which syncs to my computer...which I can do the monthly view (on the computer) which I can then print out when I do have to put the next month on the wall calendar.

It sounds like a pain, but it's only way I've found to both have a planner to carry with me everywhere and for the family to have easy access to. it's not that bad once you get in the habit and remember to regularly update both calendars!! :D

Good luck!

I have the Boynton Family calendar. The dates of each
month run down the page vertically, and at the top there
are spaces for 5 family members. That way I am able to
keep track of everyone's activities on any given day. Also
comes with stickers and very cute graphics for each month,
plus a pocket at the bottom to stick invites, etc. So far
this one has worked the best for us. Found it at
Borders.

Hi J. ~

I've found one that I started using a couple of years ago and I LOVE it! It's called "Mom's Plan It". It comes with 17 months (August '08 to December '09) and a magnetic strip on the top to place of the fridge ~ it also comes with stickers. You have enough room to write in appts and birthdays and you can see the whole month at a glace! There's also a side bar to write additional notes! PLUS it has a pocket to hold stuff ~ I keep appt cards in it and my referrels plus perscriptions that need to be filled and stamps and anything important that is needed quick at hand! They also have a purse/pocket one ~ but I'm like you ~ I don't like having two calenders ~ but because they are so similiar that when I go to say the Doctor's Offce and they make a future appointment ~ I'll write it in pocket/purse one and when I get home I can transfer the info onto the big one!

Good Luck ~ I hope you like it as much as I do! My kids are now 10 & 12 years old and I still use it! LOL

I use the regular wall calendar, this year I got one with extra spaces and lines to write on (form Michaels craft store) I pull it off the wall and bring it to my meetings at school, scouts etc... the other adults love it, because they can catch a glimse of dates when we are planning too.

J.,

I just bought Pam Scocolow's Family Facts calendar. I hang it on the fridge with a clip magnet. It's big so you won't be able to take it with you, but it's perfect for organizing everyone's activities. Each square is large with a color coded line for each person with ample room to write down appointments and activities. It comes with stickers which my daughter enjoys putting on people's birthdays, anniversaries etc... I found it at Barnes and Noble. I'm not sure where else you might find it.

I use Microsoft Outlook and sync it with my Blackberry but...before I went electronic, I used the Franklin Covey System which worked really well for all of us.

You can get an AT A GLANCE planner that has BOTH the weekly & monthly calendars in it or the daily & monthly combo too. I use the AT A Glance for work, the one that allows you to enter daily appointments between 8am-9pm very day but it also has a monthly calendar (with squares) to enter appointments too (so you can see what is going on that whole month).

You have to glance through the appointment book, to make sure it has both tools.

Lots of good ideas already. One benefit of a large wall calendar as your kids get older is that they use it too (to see how long till a birthday or other event, to help write in things, etc.). I work full time and live and die by my electronic calendar (which is also on my Palm that I carry around). But as I am a visual person and like the month at a glance, I also print out a version of my calendar to use and carry around with me. My staff laughs becasue I call it my "bible" (no disrespect meant) and at the end of the year it is torn and tattered with things written all over it. Anyway, you could use one of the free electronic calendars and print out the months (you can also print out smaller version to carry with you).

I reoommend going electronic with your own yahoo group calendar, gmail calendar or cozi.com that way you can do repeat meetings and print out weekly, monthly and if needed daily views to hang since things change. Cozi even allows you to color code each family member.

M. G.
Arlington Heights

I personally use a pretty Lang wall calendar, in a wooden frame. It becomes part of the decor in my kitchen and I want to make sure that my husband and children can glance at it and know what is going on, too.

I color code (red) all birthdays, anniversaries on the bottom of the date's box; then use (Green-pen) for any event that I know of at this time. With kids in school, days off, vacations..... there is already a lot of GREEN on the calendar. I write pretty small and use the family initials circled next to it, if it pertains to a particular person. I do all of this before the calendar even goes up on the wall and this has become my last day of the year project for over ten years. Then, throughout the year, I just write on the calendar in blue or black ink. If something is to go on the calendar, my kids post a sticky note on the calendar - that let's me know it's a new post, then I write it. (Keeps my calendar neat, too!) Usually, in October or November I have so many new schedules to post (i.e. baseball, choir practice...etc...) for the following year that I just tuck those schedules inside the frame so that I can post them on the new calendar.

I tried two calendars but I had a hard time keeping my family posted or remembering to post it on two schedules.

This system hasn't failed me yet. Good luck to you.

I have used a computer calendar, like Microsoft Outlook, for years. You can print it out by month or week or both. Birthdays and anniversaries and weekly classes or appointments can be easily input to recur. I keep a paper copy of the current month and the next one near the kitchen phone and write on it until I can input the additions and print a new copy later.

I second the big huge desk calendar. Can get them in dollar sections for $1. Definitely has worked best for us. I keep it on the top shelf of the desk, so all can see, but not displayed. Plenty of room to write long and short term things. Then I have my daily to do list that I make off the big calendar that I bring along with me in my little takealong binder that has shopping lists and coupons in it (that's like the size that fits 4x6 cards maybe). I'm not efficient without my daily to do list. :) This year I did the giant grid wall calendar, so it has double size spaces instead of a picture on top...I like the desk calendar better as it is sturdier and easier to write on. Will go back to that for next year. Best wishes!

I love my Google calendar. It's easy to use and its color coded. Each member of my family has it's own color. I can even set it to send e-mail reminders to my husband! our playgroups have also started using to keep track of who is hosting and send out automatic reminders. It's great! You can also have it send reminders to your phone and I think sync it with your phones calendar.

I have the Sandra Boynton family calendar and LOVE it! I'm not one to stick to using calendars and it actually came with a date book that I used for about 1 week before I gave up on that, but the calendar is great everyone gets their own column and since I only have 2 kids I use the last column for vet appointments. (it comes with fun stickers too- gotta love Sandra Boynton!)

I also use the Flylady calendar. I have for 3 or 4 years now, I love the big squares, it comes with stickers too. I use a different color pen for each family member. The stickers are for doctor, dentist, vet, back to school, important, etc. I am thinking of doing the Google one as well, just so my husband can see what is going on when he is at work preparing his next schedule. We wind up texting back and forth! This way he can look himself! Good luck!

I also use the huge calendar that's meant to lay on a desk. Yes, it's not pretty, and takes up a lot of wall space, but we couldn't live without it.

It has lines and room for everyone's activities (even Daddy's poker game). My kids even learn how to count weeks, or length of time until an event, etc. The calendar is right next to the kitchen table so we always are talking at meals about what is going on this week, or what we did today.

That eyesore of a calendar is part of our family, and the kids love it because they know what's happening in their lives. They aren't surprised by being dragged to someone's orthodontist appointment, or karate class.

Yes, it a bother not having a portable calendar, but I learned to just call the doctor's office right away when I get home, and get the next one scheduled. Not a big deal. I have tried to keep a portable calendar once, but it was impossible to keep it updated.

As your kids get older, your calendar will be your lifeline. (At least for people like me who have to write everything down.)

http://www.chocolatecakeclub.com/so627.html

Look for the "Family Plan-It" calendar. Works well for planning for my 6-person family.

I have a calendar from Micheal's ($1!!) that has a slot for each member of the family. My son had TONS of dr. appts. and his schedule was taking up the entire calendar so that I couldn't add anything else. Now he has a slot just for him and I can put something for each person in our family for each day. It is wonderful. It is called a family calendar. I also got one last year from Kohl's but it was at the end of Christmas. Not sure they would still have anything like that now. I'd check out Micheal's though.

Try a Mom Agenda. They are sold online and in various card stores. I like it because you can view month and by week (with a ribbon bookmark). It gives you up to 4 spaces for your kids activities and your own space for the day/week and to do's. This is my second year using it and it has been invaluable. I had the wall calendar for the month it was a dry erase board which worked well for the b-day parties and key dates, but the Mom Agenda handled all the day to day activities, playdates, etc.
Thanks,
K.

I do use two calendars, but it only takes 5 minutes to write out the 2nd one. I use a traditional monthly calendar to write everything down in. I use codes for first names, such as Laura is L=____@____.com other calendar is pinned up on the bullentin board in the pantry and it is just one week's schedule as well as the menu for the week. It works well and that way everyone knows what is going on for the week. I got it from a school fundraising catalog, but you could easily make one yourself. I like this system because I have a good feel for the month,but the rest of the family only wants to focus on the week.

If something is really important, I send my husband an email. Telling him about a girls night out is always easier tht way =). Good luck!

I grab all the events (girl scouts/boy scouts, soccer, school..) and type it in word calendar and then hang it on my refrigerator. I hand write anything else that comes up afterwards. Neatly typed works great and you can still add handwritten events.

Hi

I love my day runner calendar which is magnetic so it hangs on the fridge. Which everyone seems to be around so the entire family can see daily what is going on. They have several different calendars and organizers - Here's a link to what I use.

http://www.dayrunner.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/produc...

I totally use the Flylady wall calendar.

http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_calendar.asp

It has really big spaces for ALL your activities (and goodness knows our family has enough!) plus stickers for decoration. The downside is no pretty pictures, the upside is more room for what a calendar is FOR...writing stuff!

I used to use an electronic calendar, even tried google calendar, but if my computer goes down or the internet goes down I'm stuck! My electronic calendar has let me down quite a few times either running out of batteries or my computer has not wanted to sync it up.

I keep a small purse calendar which was $1.00 at Target and although it's not great having 2 calendars, I can whip it out at the dentist or when a friend says "hey, can we meet for dinner?" I just sync the two up every day and it really doesn't take long.

Because I've lost data due to computer crashes I trust my hard copy only. I've used the Flylady calendar for 2 years now and I love it!

Flylady has a great calendar,

www.flylady.net