Wednesday, January 2, 2013

What's in my Organizer (Part 2)

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Last week, I shared most of what I keep in my organizer.  All that's left is my calendar.

I use the Pretty Planner that I downloaded from Pretty Chaotic Mom.  First, because it's pretty!!  But, I also adore the set-up.  The planner, includes notes pages, to-do pages, monthly calendars, and weekly planners, July 2012 - July 2013.

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I added Avery tabs to make each month easy to find.  The planner is designed with the monthly pages spread out among the weekly pages.  I like this set-up (as opposed to the Filofax set-up where the month pages are all together and the weekly pages are all together).

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2012-12-26 062On each monthly calendar, I write down due dates for bills, library books, fundraisers, etc.  I also write down birthdays of family and friends.  If I have any projects I'm working on or any major "to-do's", I write these in the "to-do" section of the monthly page.  In December, I started planning my blog posts on the monthly calendar page.

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My favorite part of the planner is the weekly planner layout.  Each week (Monday - Sunday) is displayed in a week-on-two-pages column format.  The page is then divided up into 6 rows.  There are endless possibilities for the rows, but I use one for each family member, one for our menu, and one for extras (blog posts, bible reading, etc).  I need to keep track of my work schedules (for two jobs) as well as my husband's work and coaching schedules and any activities that my kids participate in.  In  my own row, I write my work schedule and any major chores I need to get done.  In the kid's rows, I write any activities they attend as well as Raegan's day care schedule and whether or not I have paid for that day yet.  In Chris's row, I write any extracurricular activities or meetings that will keep him at work late.

A typical week-on-two-pages set-up is not structured enough for me.  A week-on-two-pages appointment planner with hourly marks on the columns only has room for my schedule, not the rest of my family.

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I would be lost without my multicolored pen.  I remember using these pens in elementary school... and I was thrilled when I found out that Bic still makes them!  Each family member has a color, which makes things easier to find on a hectic weekly page.  Sometimes, I use it to doodle, too.

A pretty planner is just more fun to use... and if it's more fun to use, there's a better chance that it will BE USED!  I have so many students who carry around a planner, but never write anything down.

Planning saves you time!  Crystal Paine from Moneysavingmom.com shared that author Brian Tracy said, "Every minute your spend planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy!"

Make it your New Year's Resolution to be more productive!!  Find a planner that fits your lifestyle and your preferences, and USE IT!

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Pretty Chaotic Mom has graciously offered my readers a 50% off sale on the 2012-2013 Pretty Planner.  Just follow this link and use the code "prettyspecial".

Or... you can enter the GIVEAWAY below to win a 2012-2013 Pretty Planner download for FREE!

  • Use the Rafflecopter widget below to earn as many entries as you can!

  • The giveaway will run from January 2 through January 9 (at midnight).

  • One winner will be selected and contacted next week.

  • The winner will also be announced in a blog post next week.

  • The winner has one-week from the announcement to contact me for prize arrangements.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 comments:

  1. just found you at Wisdom Wednesdays...flollowing via google reader....I love this post! I would like to see more posts about organization. blessings, Nicole

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  2. Posts about organization for kids! :)

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  3. I've got one in the works :) Thanks for stopping by!!

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  4. Thank you for this. I've been looking for a good family planner. I still haven't figured out which one I want to use this year!

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  5. I really do love this one. It's the only way I can keep track of everyone!!

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  6. Hi! I'm new to your blog so I'm not sure what I want to see "more" of yet, but I would definitely like to see how you use your organizer throughout the year, if it changes!

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  7. Definitely more organization tips! Thanks for hosting! (Found you through link-up)

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  8. Oh it always changes :) This is actually the first planner I've used for more than a month or two!!

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  9. Looks like a great planner. I know I love mine that I found for me. Thank you for sharing at WJIM. Blessings.

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  10. Thank u for the download of the Planner...I was so excited to win this..I really love everything about it!

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