Calendaring Well Wednesday

[Harriet]

Get ready to hear a lot of references to the calendar today, the last time in the century we can say a triple digit date, "twelve, twelve, twelve".

There are many who will "Seize the Day" (smile) and marry, register a business, or schedule induced births. Btw, the Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi benefit concert for Superstorm Sandy victims is scheduled for today in order to have a memorable date. Early this morning, at 12 mins,12 secs after 12 o' clock on Dec 12th, the time (in your time zone) was 12:12:12,12/12/12 & 12 days before Christmas, but don't worry if you didn't notice - it happens again a little after noon.

With all this attention to the calendar, and only a few weeks until a new year filled with potential, it's a good time to think about how we use calendaring for our households.

What types of calendaring do you find help you most?
Wall, desk, weekly planners, monthly planners, daily?
Do you calendar electronically or pick up your trusty low-tech pencil and circle dates the traditional way?
Do you just have to have that annual calendar by a favorite artist or about a favorite type of pet or interest?
Are the stickers with cute symbols found on your calendar, or do you appreciate the calendars with monthly pockets?
Does your cardfile, Household Notebook or binder serve as an important aid to your calendar?
Do you print out free online calendar printables like PocketMod or Organized Home or DIY to organize your plans?

Let us know - how are you planning to calendar in the coming year and what/how will you be purchasing, to be sure you're ready for 2013, staying on track to your goals with helpful memory prompts?

[blessedw2]

good morning our dear Harriet!!! and all that follow!

I love my calendar (now lol) I used to dislike or forget my calendar all the time - but now that I am in the habit I can see my reluctance kept me in tons of chaos. (lol not that I don't have chaos now but it does give me an idea whats coming.)

my goal and gift to myself is using my calendar for fiscal responsibility and financial planning

[DeeClutter]

Yep, we'll never see those 'triple digits' again, will we? Know DS-A and ddil#2 got married on 10-10-10. His is the easiest anniversary to remember -date AND years.

We're taking dd out on a "mental Health" day today and we're going to the casino in Tampa. No one here even knows she's taken the day off. It's a hush-hush day. Not my favorite to go, but mindless at least.

Hoping gd gets herself around soon. She's at least dressed but still trying to sleep on the couch. We have to leave in 15 minutes.

Dsonil did try 'working' yesterday. They really didn't do much, pretty much just looked at a job to see what materials they'd need. Best thing in the world for him to get out and DO SOMETHING!

Guess dd did send an email (as quoted by dsonil) to gd's counselor on Monday. She was supposed to talk to her yesterday but I'm not sure that happened. So glad this little corner is here to vent now and then. This is all something I can't even broach with dsisil, notta, none, no way! I do have to say that gd has been pretty good with me so far, but I can see little bits of the 'old' poking through with me.

Gotta run. Have a good day, "A-Calendaring We Go". Tra-la-la-la-la!

[Lynlee]

Thanks for the start Harriet
Listening/watching concert to a launch of aborigional tv that was just on pay tv going to free tv. I think they are taking one of the channels of the mostly ethnic SBS network. A great day for the launch with a concert in the central desert. Lots of talent there.

re calendars
I have been derailed from my old habits about mid year so will just update as things seem to be.
I have currently in use -
Month over 2 page - big box rectangles for each day as promoted by FL but elcheapo @$2 from the reject shop - that calendar is in bathroom by toilet as I always get to see it there. I have a pen and pencil kept in there so keep it updated w where I have to go when, and keep year overlapping reminders written and pegged there too so that I don't loose them. I note doings on that calendar. classes. meetings. church. dog flea treatments due and given. etc.
In front of computer desk - a calendar hanging from book case I have a Month a page large numbers so I can see it from the couch. I stick post-its on for my work days, and reminders for things I maybe want to go to.
I have another calendar in that room still turned to September. Seems surperfluous to needs. A gift from US.
A narrow calendar near kitchen on side of hutch. I used it more when dog needed flea tick meds every 2nd day to keep track of that. Its possibly on the wrong month.
A7 size diary - week to double page -in handbag. I really don't use it much these days.

//////Things I gave up using about mid year after doing it for an age/ years.
an A5 - day at a page diary as evening journal.
Monthy checklist of tasks/goals. trying to begin again this month.
a 6mth at a page check list of contacts with dates of personal contacts. Ended up with 4 different pages for family, 2 for different groups I'm involved with, one for other contacts.

What I have for next year.
A 2 year 2 month to a double page tiny square diary for my handbag.
I have some large box /squares calendars to give away and not sure if I am gifting them all or keeping one for me.
???why
I have an A5 - day to a pace journal type diary.
A 1/2 lenght wise A5 week to a double page diary like I used have in handbag. Just found I'd bought that.

My day today.
readings. yoga. home to eat. meeting - took doll clothes I made to show someone there I helped last week.
walked dog 3k. dinner and wash up inc counters.

Goodnight

[Twins' Mom]

Good morning! No payroll work today, thankfully. All I have going is a bone density scan at 11 a.m. this morning.

Yesterday was exhausting. I took a benydryl to help sleep and vented to dh a bit before finally sleeping. Seems like I'm hitting roadblocks w dsis, roadblocks at work (partner I needed to work with out sick yesterday) temple issues (dsecretary also out very sick, she overslept, then called me sick and crying because of how bad she felt....hope she saw a doc yesterday.) I guess things look better today, at least in part because I'm not at work!

[helia]

Aah! I an in an empty house at 7:32 a.m.! And I have nothing on my calendar until I need to drive dd14 to synchro. practice tonight. How wonderful! I think it throws me off more than I'm aware when dh is working at home, which he's been doing a lot of lately. He was home all morning yesterday. He truly is working, but there's the occasional comment or question.

I happen to REALLY like calendaring. I don't know why; I always have. Right now, I like the MoreTImeMoms wall calendar b/c it is 16 months (Sept. 2012 - Dec. 2013), so I can get a new one each fall, which is in a sense when the new year starts for our family, practically speaking. I like that the squares are very BIG and they are lined; I think this calendar may have the largest squares on a wall calendar I've yet found. I can usually fit all the various family members' activities + notes on the appointed day. I now use colored pens; I think I've shared that here before. I am red, dh is plain ol' black, dd14 is green, dd17 is purple, and ds is a medium blue. Activities that involve more than one family member are written in the color of the oldest member. I guess I like the resulting colorfulness; if a family is going to be busy, I suppose their busyness should be represented as cheerfully as possible -- and the bright colors make life look cheerful, imho. I also like the calendar on the wall b/c everyone in the family can see it -- it hangs in the kitchen -- so everyone can know what is going on each day and physically see the flow of the week. Also, kids can write their own activities on it, though if they do that, they usually tell me too, which is helpful b/c I have things in my head and don't necessarily peruse the calendar each morning. I do use the stickers, they fit in with the cheerful element, but I do not use them consistently. Also, I've been saving each calendar as a "journal" of sorts of what we were doing that year. The big down side: I can't carry it with me to meetings and so I need to go home and check it before committing to activities when out of the house. I used to have a small calendar that I carried in my purse, but I don't do that anymore; my new purse is smaller and I didn't want to take the time to update it. Probably TMcalendarI. LOL!! Can you tell I like calendars?

Goals for today:
-a.m. routine
-finally, work on my flower beds! It is supposed to be dry and maybe even sunny today! Not too cold -- well, not too cold by MI in Dec. standards.
-progress on shopping

[helia]

Lynlee reminded me of something else I like about my wall calendar: it has lots of extra list space each month for reminders, notes to self, etc. After giving cat and dog meds, I put a sticker on for the day the next month's meds are due.

Also, we have a family tradition now of going over our week every Sunday night right after dinner. We talk through each day, what each person is doing. Kids tell us their quiz/test/projects due schedule as well. Since S and R eat with us every Sunday night, they go over their week with us too. They're just like part of the family.

I got so excited about calendars, I forgot to say good morning!!

Thank you for starting us off with a wonderful topic, Harriet!

I hope you can regroup today, Twins, and maybe spend some time on yourself.

That is interesting re: aboriginal tv, Lynlee. We didn't seem to see too many aboriginals when we were in Adelaide years ago.

NOW I'm off to get busy.

1st goal: a.m. routine and devo. time done by 10 a.m. (I'm hoping for 9:30, but I way underestimated everything when I did this on Monday.)

[ellyphant]

Good morning! My calendar is an extra one that DH received in the mail at work. It lives on the coffee table with my perpetual pile of papers. (When DS moved out, we gave him our old desk and haven't replaced it.) I mostly write appointments and library due dates on there. Have always had a paper calendar for myself. Used to hang it on the door of my bedroom, growing up.

DH is headed south to visit his family today. He will drop off gifts to my family. I have stayed behind to wrap up Christmas--no pun intended. Wish I had a family that would like me to visit for 2 or 3 days, but we do better with 2 or 3 hour visits! DM has a married boyfriend who can't visit her when I'm there...so I don't go often. DB shared this info with me several years ago when I was noticing that I didn't feel welcome at her house. Some people do not get any wiser as they get older!

Have a long list of errands for today. Better get moving...

[blessedw2]

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[OKay]

Good Morning!

Harriet - Thanks for a great start this morning! I find calendaring discussion very interesting!

I use both digital and analog calendars.
Digital = google
Analog = 1 page per month 8.5"x11" size.

The analog calendar is what I look at the most. I like the visual aspects of seeing the big picture. However, it can be destroyed easily (spilling something on it) and/or lost so each week I sync it with digital calendar. When I am out-n-about and need to make an appt, the digital calendar is used to ensure I am free at that time/date.

We go over the coming week activities on Sunday morning while driving to church and discuss who/what/when. Once that review/discussion is done, them I create a weekly plan.

The weekly details are laid out in pocketmod format which is always kept in my left hip pocket (pen in the front left pocket). That 8x11" blank paper folding into pocketmod format also contains other sections/categories of info that I add to as soon as it comes to mind (or I will promptly forget it)......OMM, NTBE, Buy, Meal plan, prayer request, I ate, etc