There were many times, since I have started this new life of mine, where a child would waltz into a room and nonchalantly exclaim that their concert, practice, parent teacher conference was....tonight.
It drove me completely insane.
We tried a dry erase calendar on the wall in the kitchen which only works when someone updates it and that someone is often...me.
But the problem with the wall of the kitchen is that I can't bring that with me.
Back when I was in High School there was a moment where my parents had to have a conversation with me about my grades. The story goes that I flew into hysterics. The fact that "I don't have a desk!!!" was the entire problem.
My father got me a desk that weekend. That shut me up...until I thought of a better excuse. ;)
I have ALWAYS been this way. I tend to go a tad overboard when I have a problem to solve. If I want to organize my room I need all new bins and baskets and hangers. If I need to organize my time I need a crazy expensive customized and personalized planner.
It was more than I really needed to spend but the truth is the money this thing cost is really buying my sanity. I've tried to use iCalendar or pushing entries from my Outlook at work to my phone. Those serve as great reminders but I can't see my whole life in a glance.
Now I can.
I saw someone on Facebook post about having to wait forever to get their Erin Condren planner. I took a look at the link and that was it. I was going to have a planner and it was going to be one of these.
This planner runs from October 2014 until the end of 2015. The cover is sturdy and laminated and you can choose from a ton of different styles. You can see each day at a glance with sections for morning, day, and night. I can put work stuff in the day section and practices and such at night.
Or I can look at a month at a glance and see everything in one place. October is going to be busy.
There are stickers! And you can buy customized ones as well. I had a set made with each kid's names so I can keep track. They have not arrived yet but I can't wait!
There's a pocket and a little plastic ziploc case in the back. The planner comes with a bunch of gift stickers that you can put on a package or wine bottle when giving a gift.
And I love the quotes sprinkled throughout.
Granted - a planner is only as good as how you use it. Garbage in, garbage out. I'll fully admit in the past I've kept a desk diary which languished as soon as things got busy. But my sanity is worth the few minutes a day it takes me to keep track. I can remind Mora of her cheer practice and Dave that Financial Aid Night is on a Tuesday at the high school.
To be completely fair - Staples has planners that are colorful and half the price. You don't have to spend a lot to get organized. But if you fall in love with the Erin Condren planners like I have you can use this link to get $10 off. (Full disclosure - it is a referral link and I'll get $ off my next order too. Win/win!)
My mother always told me the time it takes to organize saves you a headache later. Keeping track of all of us has taken it's toll. In the last month I've worked hard to get things in order and it immediately has made me much less stressed.
It's a lesson I hope I've learned for good.*
(* this does not mean I am giving up my Massage Envy membership)
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