Functional Family Calendar

Hung conveniently on the fridge or kitchen wall, a large monthly calendar is a great way to keep your family in the loop.  The dilema, of course, is that it’s impossible to use away from home.  If an electronic version is out of your budget, try this little trick.  Rather than buying a large wall-size calendar, opt for a slightly smaller notebook-size version.  When it needs to function as a family calendar, use magnetic clips to hold it open and display it on the fridge.  When you’re on the go, simply pop off the clips and toss it in your purse.

Kid-Friendly Planners

Be in sneakers for P.E. class, library books, or musical instruments, helping your kids get off to school with the right equipment can be a huge hassle.  Help them mangae their own daily activites by creating a simple weekly chart.  These help your kids keep track of what’s going on at school, what’s for lunch, and any extra-curricular activites.  Plans for homemade velcro versions are available online (see this post).  Stick the planners on the fridge or pantry door so your kids will be able to check them each morning before school.

Activity Information Binder

The first few weeks of school often result in a sea of important information like sport schedules, class directories, and school calendars, often buried in piles on the kitchen counter.  Keep track of everything by making an Activity Information Binder.  Use a simple three-ring binder and add three dividers for each of your school-age children: one for calendars, one for directories, and one for micellaneous activity information.  next time you need a number or a litte information about your children’s schedules, you’ll know just where to look.

Weekly Family Meetings

Nothing can simplify the scheduling struggle as efficiently as a weekly family meeting.  Held at a regular time and place, family meetings can be critical in your back-to-school survival.  Encourage each member of the family to bring his or her weekly planner and take a few minutes to update the family calendar.  In particular, the first back-to-school family meeting should include the following topics for discussion: clothing and school supply budgets, morning routine plans, homework rules, allowance structure, and TV/cell phone/computer limits.

*This post is an excerpt from an article published by Organize Magazine, Sept/Oct 2007, Volume 02, pg 42-49, written by Maria Eckersley, photos by Lanola Kathleen Stone.

Last year, I posted a batch of Christmas planning files that were designed to help you and your family manage your holiday to-dos, expenses, and gifts.  Since I’ve got so many new readers this year, I thought I’d repost them.  I’m adding a new calendar planning file as well.   It’s nothing fancy, just a simple 5-week calendar to help you schedule your many holiday tasks.  I recommend printing out a few of them and sorting your tasks into categories.  For example, you may want an entire calendar dedicated to your cleaning schedule, another devoted to events to attend, and another for your party preparations.  Using these calendars in conjunction with the 4-week Christmas planner file should give you a great organizing foundation.

Keep all your calendars and your other planning papers in a simple 3-ring binder and force yourself to go through it several times a week.  I like to keep mine in the car with me so I can review it while I’m waiting to pick up kids and so I can double-check my budget and gift plans before I head into a store (impulse buying is one of my many weaknesses).  You may also want to add a simple pencil pouch to your binder to store your receipts and coupons.

Whatever system you come up with, these simple files can be a great way to kick off your Christmas organization.  For more MeckMom stress-reducing holiday tips, check out my latest article in Organize Magazine.  It’s on sale now.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

First off, I made a weekly breakdown of my tasks. Similar to my “Mom Game Plan” mentioned in a previous post, this weekly list of to-do’s really helps me focus. I break down the 4 weeks before Christmas (I just finished week 1) into 4 work weeks:

Week 1: Decorate and Plan
In this week I focus on making a plan. I plan out my gift list, my budget, and my calendar. I also get the house ready for Christmas…inside and out.

Week 2: Shopping Phase 1
During this week, I focus on buying, wrapping and shipping all extended family and non-family presents. This includes things like neighborhood gifts, gifts for Grandma’s and Grandpa’s, teacher gifts, etc. I also create and send my digital Christmas cards this week.

Week 3: Shopping Phase 2
During this week I focus on buying and wrapping all immediate family gifts. This includes Santa presents, stocking stuffers, etc. I also use this week to make any freezable food ahead of time and make or buy the Christmas PJs.

Week 4: Deliver and Celebrate
This is crunch week. In this week our family delivers all the gifts to neighbors and teachers. I also finish up any wrapping and get the Christmas Eve supplies together.

I’ve also got a Christmas gift planner on my website for you. It’s amazing how many gifts there are to keep track of. Rather than impulse buy and scramble for ideas, I use this gift planner to help me keep everything straight. It also helps me keep track of which presents are wrapped and which have been shipped. You can find this handy file on my website as well.

As much as I hate to do it, I have to set up a budget for my Christmas spending. Tallying up all the gifts, decorations, party supplies, and food expenses can be really daunting; but I’ve found that if my husband and I work together to set a limit and then breakdown that limit into the various categories listed on my sheet, we save ourselves from the horrible post-Christmas financial drought. I posted both a blank version and a sample version on my site.

I can’t promise these files will make your Christmas preparations stress-free. However, getting you game plan down on paper, planning out your gifts, and making a budget should help you reach New Year’s with your sanity still intact. You can find the free file downloads below. Just thought I’d pass it on.