What kind of planner system do you use?

[littlekiwi]

I use google calendar on my phone plus a hard copy diary - mainly for both to keep track of university assignments

 

[Karen]

my iPhone and Google Calendar. No paper version for me anymore.

 

[talivstouwe]

I hate google but sometimes use that. I've been trying to love the calendar on my phone/computer but when it really comes down to it, I like to write things down on paper. I like to make lists

Yep, this is me too. I love my lists, and I need to physically write things down. I need to get a paper planner soon.

I started using Cozi yesterday, we'll see how that actually works like 2 weeks down the road.

 

[justjaimee]

planning? wassat?!

hehehe

I use something called 'todoist' and I have it on my browser, ipod and attached to my google calendar - I also do the good 'ol writing on paper especially when I do daily checklist stuff that I do on my computer. It helps me stay focused and something I can visually see in front of me.

 

[bderby]

This year, I skipped printing a photo calendar for us, because i was keeping mostly everything on my phone calendar. But as the year has progressed, it has been super annoying not having a paper calendar to look at because when I am making appointments (on the phone), I don't have such easy access to look at my phone calendar. So, I am going to have to go back to having something that hangs on the fridge or on the wall that I can look at.

 

[Nettie B]

i'm excessive, but I can admit it. but if this helps...
-We have the big calendar on the fridge with faces for birthdays and anniversaries, + Kate Hadfield's calendar goodies, and it gets updated by hand in color each month for everybody's sporting events, meetings, travel, etc.
-Kiddo has his own LEGO wall calendar. With post-it notes (he's my kid).
-Like Brandi, not a fan of the inherent iOS calendar, but didn't stick with CalenMob, now with Calendar 5 to sync GoogleCalendar across phone, iPad - better visual, and can use group function and invites for meetings, team scheduling, etc. Love the iOS 7 integration, and works with my color scheme by calendar - each schedule has it's own (yes OCD is me)
-have a paper "planner", with color tabs. Tabs correspond to lists in my Gtasks/ToDo/Reminder List. So I can doodle, make more free-form plans, lists, etc. or get in more detail by hand, do research, without the hand cramp of typing in my iPad between ferrying the kid around or errands. Title the page and enter into the task app with a reminder so my phone/iPad will ping me incessantly when I need to act.

So everything is electronically reminded - and synced across multiple people and calendars - but there is a global paper calendar, and a loose - if I am hit by a bus, this is where she was going with the plan, plan. Ha.

 

[RebeccaH]

Nettie, this is pretty similar to what I've come up with after much brainstorming after the past few days of some serious contemplating!! Great minds... OCD is me as well.

So here's what I've decided to try.

1. I went to Staples and got a disk-bound binder, as well as the corresponding hole punch (that costs a small fortune *cough*don't tell hubby*cough*), and some supplies (pockets, post-it holding page marker, etc).
2. I made up my own version of a weekly planner page and calendar. The ones I was finding were not really all that different. But they were expensive and dull and not quite exactly what I wanted. So I customized.
3. I put together the binder, with tabs for each month's calendar. Also tabs for things like the Booster Club that I'm involved in, school papers that need follow-up, a master list for menus, etc.
4. I made an insert that I can print for each week. It's 1/2 page wide with weekly menu on one side and grocery list on the other.
5. I'm still planning to use my online/phone calendar. I am just not willing to give up the phone reminders. I WILL, however, be more selective on what I set reminders for. Also, another benefit of the online calendar is that it's easy for hubby to see, as all of the calendars are shared (and yes, Nettie, ours are color coded by person as well... each person has their own calendar, and they're all merged together onto one master calendar)

So we'll see how this system works out. So far, I have LOVED knowing that all of my notes and papers to follow up on are in the same place. I have loved having the space to jot down notes without having to go through all the steps to set up a task in my phone...sometimes that's just too much. I'm hoping as I work with it, I'll be able to iron out kinks and getting it working like I envision it in my mind. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and I forgot, we also have a chalk board calendar that we update each week with the week's schedule & agenda. It too is color coded by person. And I love the character of the chalkboardiness of it.

 

[RebeccaH]

Here's what I made (I printed it on plain ol' paper, no heavy weight, just to see if i like the function of it before i go all out with printing on sturdier paper... thus, you can see through it... so ignore that, k?)



month view:


week spread (without the menu/grocery insert):


1/2 page menu insert:


and the other side is the grocery list:


I used Liz's Calendar Kit for the mini calendar views.

 

[RebeccaH]

Just wanted to come back and say so far so good on my new system. Thank you all for your input. I needed help getting my thoughts focused in one direction.

 

[sakura-panda]

Your pages look great! I'm inspired to make my own calendar!

I went to Staples last Friday and bought a small, light (weight and size are very important to me!) disc binder, some dividers, project pages, some flags, and a zippered pouch to hold the three rolls of Scotch washi tape that I bought at the same time (buy two get one free!).

I did not buy the hole punch and I did not buy a calendar because they all didn't start until January; I figure if it works for me, I can use a coupon on the punch later. Excluding the washi tape, I spent about $20 on all the pieces I bought, so the punch seemed a bit excessive for a trial.

Even though I don't have a calendar in it yet, it's working really well just a general all purpose notebook. I have a section for my to-do list, a section for my to-dos for my daughter's scout troop, and that is all so far. (I just started using it Monday and was sick in bed all day yesterday.)

It's light to carry around and it fits in my purse.The pages move around so easily! I thought they might be susceptible to tearing, but they don't seem to be.