to ask how you keep track of everything?

[cjt110]

I am utter shit for brains lately. I am really struggling with remembering things. A few examples as of late: I remembered last week I was sure my depo jab was around now sometime, called the GP and it's next Monday. Wasn't written down anywhere so I could have missed it. I remembered on Monday that my car is soon due it's MOT. It expires next Weds. Luckily got it booked in hastily and it passed. Son has his first year jabs tomorrow and this was diarised but I have to keep reminding myself about it.

I seem to have such a scatter brain right now. I dont know why. I used to be so organised. How do you keep track of everything?

Paper Diary for me. for the last 15 years. I have upgraded to windows 10 and it fails. Paper works because it is quicker by far than phone. The thing that worked most though, was realising i will just forget stuff and 'giving up' on trying to. The book of knowledge (diary) changed my life.

Calendar with decent sized boxes on it, then everything happening the next day gets written on the blackboard each night.

Work outlook calendar. Everything goes in there, and if its things like MOT due I do a one month, 2 week and 1 week reminder. Things like birthdays and car tax renewal get a 1 week reminder.

Paper diary and phone, these days.
The phone allows me to set an alarm for important dates, depending on what's happening, I will choose it to ring anywhere from 10 mins prior (Appts) to 1 week prior (posting birthday cards).

School things - I have a fridge magnet that is also a document clip - so I put the things I need to remember for DS1 onto that clip in reverse date order, then remove each one after they're "done". That's for money for trips, going on trips, school events. etc. - and I've included party invitations there too.
Very useful!

I also have a vertical filing system in the kitchen, aka the pile on the table, where other less pertinent paperwork is also kept...

Paper diary, week to view, propped up on a recipe book holder in a prominent place in the kitchen. This is known as "mission control". If it's not in the diary it DOES NOT HAPPEN and the rest of the family know this. They are encouraged to put their own arrangements in it so I know if they are going to be in to eat (teens) - this is not always successful. The diary also includes the menu du jour (so the kids know what not to choose at lunchtime at school). This is replicated on my phone/ipad with notifications set if I think I might forget (different from usual school pick up times for example). It's the only way I tell you.

Oh I am so envious of you alllllll Work's outlook calendar is a great idea.

Google calendar synchronised with mine and dh's phones so we can both add things etc.colour coded so we can see who is doing what. Just about on top of things although dh was 2 weeks late on car tax. I handed him the letter so there's not much more I can do. I won't do it for him - not his mother!

Paper diary and Outlook for work.

For home, everything goes in my iPhone calendar with alerts, and I share stuff with DH when necessary.

I also keep a running list of 'things to do' in Notes on my iPhone. I add to it as things strike me. I go through it in bed every night and prioritise a few things for the following day.

Isn't it a thing after having babies? My brain has been mush since and my phone lists are a godsend! Concentrating on a little human being constantly takes up a lot of brain power. I was hoping it would get better but my SIL says it hasn't and hers are 6 and 5

I don't. I remembered last week that it was DD's 8 week jabs some time that week. Found the letter and they were in half an hour. Cue waking up a grumpy toddler and alsmost running a mile with said toddler and an 8 week old in the rain to get there on time. Im useless.

I use my phone too. Even linked calendars with my Dad's so I can put babysitting requests in!

I would also recommend an omega-3 fish oil supplement which has really helped my memory.

Google calendar at home, Outlook Calendar at work, lots of notes. We still get some things wrong.

Paper diary here, I'm not into excessive technology. I'm self employed and everything goes into one diary, blue ink for work stuff, black ink for family stuff.

Regular 'meetings' with all the family round the table as well so that we can all compare diaries and check that there aren't any unworkable clashes or that something important hasn't been missed by somebody.

I love choosing my new diary for each year, it's one of the highlights of the autumn

cjt110

If it's any consolation I was always utterly crap at this kind of stuff. Technology has revolutionised me. One of the great things is that as it's all online, if I forget my phone (as I often do, despite being one of the few things I rarely leave the house without), all I need to do is borrow a device with web access to look up anything I need to. Technology also has the advantage of making it easy to move appointments when they change, no need to rub/cross out and rewrite elsewhere.

Diary. I much prefer a paper one to my phone, I don't know why.

Google calendar on pc and phone (synchronised) with reminders set up 48 hours in advance - DH and DD1 also are supposed to enter their commitments onto it.

Paper diary that goes to work with me every day - I cross reference the paper and Google diary weekly.

Remember the Milk app on my phone for daily and weekly to do lists - you can set repeating items on there as well.

I use Google calendar and paper diary for events and Remember the Milk for the things that I need to do.

e.g. I'd put "make doctor's appointment" on Remember the Milk, and doctor's appointments once made on the calendarsThat way the diaries don't get clogged up with my personal to-do lists. I use the paid for Remember the Milk app but DD1 uses the free one and says it's fine (I pay because the free one only synchronises between phone and pc once every 24 hours.)

www.rememberthemilk.com

It's not a perfect system but it does work 99% of the time. I've just discovered that DD1 is working on Friday night from being pinged by Google calendar!

Calendar next to my bag. Everything goes on it, including when I send slips back to school as they get lost!

I also take a photo on my phone if the month every week or so so that I can check when out. Phone calendar too small!

MrsTedCrilly I think you're right - I'm sure some function in my brain was switched of to become a Mum!

ALittleFaith I might give them a whirl - They don't give you a nasty repeat of fish do they like cod liver oil tablets?

Everything I can think of is diarised for now. He had his jabs this morning. I knew he had them after the text reminder. And even at 7.25 after we had got up, got ready etc etc, I still "forgot" and nearly left to drop him at nursery There is something wrong with my brain!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a tiny tiny paper diary that I carry around with me all the time. Everything has to go in there or it gets forgotten. I tried using my phone, but it really didn't work out so my little tiny diary saves the day on a regular basis.

Like others everything is in both my phone and my work outlook calendar.

As soon as school newsletter/emails come in with dates they immediately go in and then get copied to my work calendar.

My iPhone uploads to the our so all the reminders are on DH's phone too and vice versa.

All the children's extra curricular activities, party invites, docs & dentist appointments as well as birthday, anniversaries and bill deadlines are set, with reminders.

For birthdays a reminder pops up a week before to give me time to buy a card/present and then another reminder 2 days before to post it.

Like lots of MNers I have small children, work long hours and have a myriad of hobbies, friends, activities and events to keep track of.

The only way everyone (including the adults) is in the right place, at the right time, with the correct clothes and equipment is because everything's planned in advance so I can lay it all out the night before.

It's not for everyone (my sister would hate it) but it keeps me sane, reduces stress and means we all get to do everything we want to.

^^uploads to the cloud obvs.

I use a combo of Google calendar and family calendar on the wall in the kitchen. DH is a nightmare for not putting in his appointments, so I have to try to remember them too. A really good tip a friend uses for birthdays is to have an annual reminder with the year of the person's birth added in beside their name. Genius.

I write everything on big kitchen calendar.

As soon as I get a letter from hospital, school etc it goes on. I also write reminders so things aren't a surprise eg ballet fees I pay 8 weeks so I write on the calendar ballet fees due 31/10 so it isn't a surprise when I get the letter. I've put on December dates things that need to be added to next calendar eg passport renewal,

I also use my i phone to put reminders in.

I have a list on chalkboard in kitchen of DD's daily timetable
Monday brownies 6-7.30
Tuesday- games bag
Weds - cornet

Before finishing work for weekend I do a list of what to do each day - eg Friday shopping and post office, buy masking tape, assembly 2.45 Saturday ballet 12-1, dd homework. I put this in the kitchen.

DP and me have a shared google calendar across all our devices. My teenager also has access to it and has it on his phone.

Yes you can use google calendar on a windows phone. You can also have moe than one calendar on the same app.