Organised Mum product experts - what should I buy to get organised?

[accessorizequeen]

I bought (I think) a life book last year but didn't really find it worked for me although I really liked the stickers. DS1 is starting school next month and I'm also due with twins, so I'd really like to have one diary/notebook plus maybe calendar to keep me organised.

At present, I have a filofax where I put all my contacts & appointments. Plus I have a notebook divided into 3 (Weekly Lists, Lists and Projects) which kind of vaguely works for me. I write everything in my notebook i.e. christmas card lists, dimensions for curtains, which nappies I've bought for dt's. But this system means I have to carry round 2 heavy largish things plus my mobile which has the most up to date numbers on it. Can't fit both of them in my changing bag either. I think I can move all phone numbers/addresses to my mobile where they can be backed up so needn't maintain the filofax anymore. Would a life book/family book suit me in this case??

Was also thinking of a calendar on the fridge/kitchen wall so dp always knew what was going on and where everyone is. There will be six of us but I guess the twins can count as 1! What combination of products would anyone recommend for me? Thanking you in advance!

Big thumbs up to the calendar because it has a plastic sheet you lay over each week to put regular stuff on - so you don't have to copy stuff over - I write on the right hand side so I can still see the left side of each day through it (have week-to-view) eg on a Thursday I have scribbled "A Gymboree 11.30 - 12.15 G Rainbows 5-6, E Explorers 7.30 - 9.30" - that gets carried over every week.

They have a new calendar this year - family calendar - think it has room for 6 because I have 5 and was thinking I could use the extra column as an "All of Us" column.

Thanks housemum, I did think the calendar looked good! Wld be nice to only write regular activities once. I get so sick of dp never knowing where I and the kids are...

I like the monthly calendar with the stickers

but tbh I had a miniature lifebook and thought it was overrated - you could put it in a handbag but this is nicer and doesn't say I AM A MUMSY MUMSY MUM all over it

Thanks, Cappuccino, I did quite like the detachable lists & so forth though? Any other organised mum users online tonight?

Thanks for that link Cappuccino. I like the 2009 week to view diary. It's a bit smaller than my OM Pocket Life Book diary 2008 which is good as it'll give me more space in my handbag.

accessorizequeen I've got the Pocket Life Book 2008 and haven't taken to it. It doesn't have enough space for each day for my needs. I had the Life Book last year but it was too big for me to carry around and so it didn't get used much. I like the detachable lists, too and I am still using them from the diary as I didn't use them all last year. Ds had the Weekly Planner Calendar and I'll probably get him and dd one each for 2009. I use a WHSmith Family Organiser Week to view Calendar costing £4.99 in the kitchen which suits me better than whatever it was (I can't really remember but I think it was an OM one) that I was using last year.

Hmm, I think that's probably what I found last year, Simply. It was v.big, and I had the leather cover on it as well. I just find my filofax difficult to write lots of notes in because of the steel bits in the middle. Is there no other solution??

I am terrible at organising and remembering things. I have finally given in and bought a decent mobile phone that has a great and more importantly - easy to use - organiser/calendar function on it. It's a Nokia 6500 Slide (not the cheapest, but by no means the most expensive - I got mine free with an Orange Racoon 25 contract for £20 a month).

I can get to the easy to read calendar function with just one button press, and can add a new memo/meeting/reminder in about 15 seconds. You can choose whether or not to have them repeat (daily, weekly, monthly) or whether they have an alarm. The best thing is that the front of the phone shows up the things you have to do today, so yesterday (cos I'm not doing anything today!) it said 10:00 NCT, 12:30 Meet Charlotte and 4:30 Doctor's Appointment, and beeped at me 20 minutes before the doctor's appointment.

I'm not at all a techy person when it comes to phones, but I really find this easy to use, and it has great battery life (as long as you turn of the 3G setting). I've had it for six weeks and it's already revolutionised my life - I haven't missed a meeting or appointment yet, and it takes minimal time to enter the information in the first place.

I still carry a memo pad and ikea pencil in my bag, and have a large month to view calendar next to the kettle, but I'm very impressed with my new phone, and I honestly didn't expect to be.

Hope this helps

Oh sorry wanted to say as well - the memo pad I use is tiny (about the size of a mobile phone) and I go through them fairly fast (about one every 4 months) but I just keep the old ones in a drawer so I always knew where they are!

I painted the back of the kitchen door with blackboard paint and have a bag of chalk screwed in to the door. Anything that needs replacing or doing gets written up.
Notepads always get lost here.

I'm such a twit! I bought the wrong life book I bought the family one but wanted the other life book sob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't you send it back Mars?
I got the normal one eventually, and am quite happy with it thought not enough notes pages imo and also the family calendar. Have just realised I will now have to enter all 'dates' on the calendary + diary. Hmmmm.

I could but I'll probably give it to someone else and order the right one for me. I've been looking at it all day to see if it works for me... but it doesn't. I prefer the other one.

Agree with Naetha - get a good mobile which can synchronise with Outlook (I have a Sony P1i) I am a bit of a techy though - have been using a PDA/mobile to keep organised for over 10yrs

It's my lifesaver - it's easy to put in repeat appointments, contacts, addresses, notes, reminders etc. It does everything. I synchronise with Outlook on our laptop, DH does the same (has the same mobile), so we can both see what each is doing. I also print off week to view Outlook calendar a week or two ahead and stick them on the kitchen wall just in case I'm actually on my mobile and need to check my calendar