Getting organised - lists & diaries!

[Jemster]

I am very sad, I have many notebooks of various sizes all in an attempt to make lists, meal plans etc.My dh laughs at me having notebooks everywhere and still being disorganised and dc have started using them for their own purposes. The other day I found one ds had written on the front 'the book for naughty children'! I don't really want to carry that one in my work bag anymore!

I also want to sort out my diary system as I'm getting inundated with things to remember from school etc. I have a calendar on wall & use my phone. I did have a diary too but just couldn't keep up writing everything in 3 places! I do like to write things down though & find the phone diary is just not the same but I like the pop up reminders.

Anyway just interested to hear what other people do to keep on top of everyday life (without the need for a notebook collection!). I would like to be more organised in 2015.

It was a labour of love and swearing but I made this wall hanging for beside the front door. I can shove any tickets or papers into the right date pocket, and grab them as I'm scrambling everyone out of the house.

Otherwise all I have on the go is a small diary in my bag. But I am a total convert to the option on moonpig to tell it all the family and friends birthdays, store the addresses, and let it send me a reminder a week in advance of every event. I then log on, pick a card and type a message, and it posts it straight off to the person for me. This was a tip from another thread on here and I really like it.

Jam that is fab, what a great idea for keeping everything organised.
I love the Moonpig idea too although I can imagine some of the older members of my family not liking it!

I have lists everywhere, I need a new amazing journal, diary, list making thing and I'm hoping someone comes along and suggest one soon

I use a Quovadis Septanote diary. I love it and it's the best diary I've ever used. There is enough room for writing my to do lists as well as reminders for school stuff etc. it is also a Beautiful Thing.

Surely the key is to just have one - be that your phone or a pocket diary. You are going to get confused if you have to keep cross checking 3 different places for dates.

Oops posted too soon. I also use Quovadis notebooks for use at home. They're the same size as the diary but thinner so they can tuck inside easily. I can also get it in my handbag. I use the notebooks for bigger to do lists/projects.

I don't use a wall planner. I have a folder for each DC with folder dividers and put all stuff pertaining to them in there - school calendars, scout stuff, extracurricular etc. stuff I need to reference.

It's taken me years of trial and error to finally find a system for me that works.

I have listed all my to do stuff in just one notebook and carry it everywhere I go. Having only one piece of notebook makes all my activities organized. I also include the Christmas list and schedules here. With regards to kids stuff, I have several dividers and boxes with labels.

I have tried using my phone as a diary but just can't warm to it.

I have a main diary which stays in the kitchen. I put any dates on my wall hanging calendar so I can glance at it on way past. Lastly I have a small diary in my handbag so if I need to check if I am free/put in an entry when out and about I can. Every week I tally up the 3 calendars.

It's not ideal (same job x3) but it's the only thing that works for me.

I also have a list book. In theory all my lists are in there although I have separate notebooks for the kids class lists/party invitation list which doubles up as Christmas present list and another one dedicated to food - recipes I want to try etc.

Again probably too many sources, but it works for me.

I use the calendar and reminders on my phone, calendar can also be accessed from DH's phone, the IPad, home and work computers. I use an App called ShopShop for lists (holidays, Christmas presents etc). I have everyone's birthdays in my phone, it pings a message two days beforehand so I can send a card. I can see the appeal of the Moonpig thing, but I wouldn't do it myself, I might be old fashioned but hand written cards are so much nicer.

I also have a tiny notebook for my daily to do lists Flipnotes keep it in my bag, it's aluminium and light as a feather and the pen holds it closed.

I take photos on my phone of letters, posters etc so I have the info to hand.
All 4 of us have a big clip on a magnetic whiteboard for letters, tickets etc. Shopping lists go on a notebook attached to the fridge.

I have trialled many a system and being a chief executive's PA it should be easy for me to organise my life, but no!

So this is my best system: all major lists (from birthday wants, camping packing, life aspirations) go on workflowy.com. This is a web based free system that is for me fantastic. I can access it on any computer / idevice / phone I want so it cuts across apple products at home and microsoft at work. I also use a seperate workflowy account for work.

Then for diary I use a paper one - a mumsnet reccomendation - Leuchtturm1917. Brilliant things are that it has a transferable address book, a wallet for notes etc and a page of notes next to the week, tis A5 and thin so it fits in my handbag easily. On the note page I make a week to do list from my work flowy or just carry it over from the previous week.

My DH, DD age 10 and I have a diary meeting every week (usually friday) for the week/month ahead. This is eased by wine and chocolate!

Lastly for meal planning and supermarket shopping list I have a magnetic planner from paperchase on the fridge that has a space for each day of the week and a separate shopping list - everyone writes on things they need and I do a rough, flexible meal plan for the week.

Another mumsnet reccomedation is an app wunderlist but I couldnot get the hanf of it and need to physically write things to remember them. Having said all that nothing beats my filofax - but i gave it up as it was so heavy to carry and I felt a bit to 80's with it!

I think I might try going electronic. I'd love to have everything in one place instead of numerous notebooks and bits of paper.
I do like writing things down though although I'm actually finding this harder anyway due to problem joints in my hand.

I'm a PA and struggle too! Brilliant at organising other people but too knackered to look after myself at the end of the day...

Google Calendar and Remember the Milk on my iPhone and laptop is what works for me.

I've gone electronic and have iCal on the iPad and DHs iPhone, and it syncs with google calendar on my work computer and my phone. I paid for the upgrade to be able to repeat things etc. It's fab everything goes on there and I just make a habit of checking daily.

Is iCal the one that comes already on the iphone/ipad?

I've been using this since September and enjoying the way you can have everything in one place. It's not small though, a heavy A5 book. www.organised-mum.co.uk/life-book-diary-p-4.html

No jemster, it's an app that you've to install. I don't think you can use the one already installed to sync with google calendar for windows / android stuff. It's free on the App Store, I just paid for the upgrade with extra features but you could try the free one first and see what you think

I use the pre-installed Ipad/Iphone/Imac calendar apps to sync with Yahoo calendar, never installed an extra one.

If you want to try tech, try the Awesome Note app. It is essentially a notebooks app that you can create notebooks/folders in for each subject/area and then within the folders you can create lists and memo notes and add deadlines, reminders, alarms etc. then (and this is the magic bit) the app compiles all of your tasks from all of your folders AND your calendar in to a daily to-do list for you. It really is pretty awesome!

I have to say though, I am a paper person and can't live without my Filofax.

As it's quite heavy to carry around, I'm trialling using a Midori Traveller's Notebook at the moment that you can put different notebooks in and I'm using DIY Fish printable diary inserts (on Etsy) but don't get me started on stationery...