Do you have a home manager binder

[sabrinat]

or book, planner, calendar?
I'm just coming to the realization (and acceptance) that in my family I really am the COO (Chief Organizing Officer) I keep everyone's schedules straight, do the car pools, shopping, all the dr's appts, most of the cooking and the cleaning. I'm looking for an awesome tool to help me stay organized and maybe keep a master schedule as well as master grocery list.
What do you have for me?

[CityChic]

ooooo....good question.... :

[sabrinat]

I have the Mom's Busy Book.
I think it has good info, but I'd sort of even be interested in something I could put in my pda, vs a big book format.

[Teensy]

I have THE NOTEBOOK. It is my holds-everything-important notebook. I bought a regular school notebook that has pockets and zips closed. I added divider tabs and have sections for To Do Lists, Calendar (printed out from my computer), Address book (also printed out from the computer), Vacation planning, Holiday planning (the Flylady countdown), a section for each child (with school and activity information), lists galore (books to read, babysitters, gift ideas, etc.).

It also has a three-hole punch tool in it (again, one I bought with the school supplies). I keep stamps and a few envelopes in it also.

I carry my notebook with me everywhere and if it ever gets lost I am in big trouble.

[flminivanmama]

ahhhh no - but now I WANT ONE!!!

[MyLittleWonders]

I have a 3-ring binder that I decided to organize this year. I have it in sections, and so far I've been putting the papers in those clear sheet protectors so I can print whatever I need off my computer and not worry about 3-hole punching papers.

I have a calendar printed from Publisher for September through June. I think I'm using it as our "attendance" calendar for hs'ing. I have a section for hs'ing legal papers (basically a copy of our private school affidavit and a signed vax waiver). I have a section for general to-do lists for dh and I; plus a section where I put our weekly schedule (which needs revamping), and a list of what I would theoretically do in each room/section of the house if I were to actually *clean* thoroughly! I also have a section for my dad's house and everything that I have to do with the trust/estate, as well as our remodelling plans for his house.

It has been very helpful so far, especially when dealing with my dad's affairs. I just type up on Word different to-do lists for each person/business I am dealing with, include the names and phone numbers, and then leave blank space for handwritten notes. I like the clear page protectors because I can slip things like bills or business cards into the appropriate sections, and also include small hand-written notes. And, it's all rearrangeble (sp?), which is helpful for me too. Normally I jot notes in spiral bound little notebooks, but I can't organize/arrange those notes by type. So, I just take them and put them in the page protectors instead.

Anyways ... hope that helps. I apologize for not being clear ... my head still wants to be napping.

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by Teensy

I have THE NOTEBOOK. It is my holds-everything-important notebook. I bought a regular school notebook that has pockets and zips closed. I added divider tabs and have sections for To Do Lists, Calendar (printed out from my computer), Address book (also printed out from the computer), Vacation planning, Holiday planning (the Flylady countdown), a section for each child (with school and activity information), lists galore (books to read, babysitters, gift ideas, etc.).

It also has a three-hole punch tool in it (again, one I bought with the school supplies). I keep stamps and a few envelopes in it also.

I carry my notebook with me everywhere and if it ever gets lost I am in big trouble.

I so want a zippered one! I realized that when I took my notebook plus a letter-size manilla folder with me to an attorney's appointment. I kept worrying that things would fall out. Hmm ... I think I need a trip to Office Depot!

[sabrinat]

Teensy you rock!
I think I have my vacation project
Ok...I think I need to use the "mom's busy book" as a guideline since it has everything I want in terms of infor but I find it too static...what I wanted was the flexibility, adaptability of something I could easily add too or edit. Oh...I know, I'll take it apart and put the sections into page protectors, add dividers...oh, this could work!

[SkylarJulesmom]

I want to do this sooooo bad! I buy a notebook (Large day planner) get it home and wonder "What should I put in it?!?" My little Wonders and Teensy what kind of sections do your planners have? I'm intrigued! I have never been an organized person and I've always wanted to be! but I never quite know how to go about it! Erin

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by SkylarJulesmom

I want to do this sooooo bad! I buy a notebook (Large day planner) get it home and wonder "What should I put in it?!?" My little Wonders and Teensy what kind of sections do your planners have? I'm intrigued! I have never been an organized person and I've always wanted to be! but I never quite know how to go about it! Erin

Mine got left at my dads house the other night, but if I remember correctly, I have:

*month-to-month calendar printed off Publisher

*daily schedule/weekly schedule (basically a list day-by-day of what we do each week on each day like ds#2's speech times, etc.)

*general to-do lists

*my dad's house, including renovation information (I will probably start a new section dealing just with the renovation and leave the original section to deal with business/estate stuff

*homeschool legal stuff (vax exemption and our affidavit)

*emergency contact information (a sheet with our names, address, home phone, cell phones, plus grandparent names/numbers, the local hospital number - basically what I would leave for the theoretical babysitter). I also plan on adding a write-up of our disaster plan ... we live in earthquake country, as does all of our immediate family, so I want to make something up that details meeting points, out-of-state contact person, etc.

*menu ideas and general grocery lists - I haven't fully developed this area. I'm thinking of listing the main meals that we make along with the ingredients I would need to make them so that I can stream-line meal preparation and grocery shopping. Plus that way, if dh were to go shopping, he could scan the list, pick some meals for the week, check the fridge/pantry, and then have a good idea of what we need. I also want to make a general list in there of foods we keep on hand for snacking - fruit, veggies, string cheese, yogurt, nuts, pirate booty, etc.

*And I'll probably add a section for general note keeping ... stuff that doesn't necessarily fit in any one section or that needs filing in the filing cabinet ...

I think that's all ... and I really am getting a zippered 3-ring binder. That is the best idea!

[texaspeach]

I have one. I keep weekly menus and recipes in it, along with calendars that I printed off a free calendar webpage, I've got the #s to the electric co, gas co, landlord, water co, etc in there in case of emergencies. oh, and all the take out menus we have are in there

[boheime]

I have a nice leather covered planner. I buy it each year at Borders when calendars go on sale. It helps me keep all of our stuff straight.

[amydawnsmommy]

Originally Posted by sabrinat

or book, planner, calendar?
I'm just coming to the realization (and acceptance) that in my family I really am the COO (Chief Organizing Officer) I keep everyone's schedules straight, do the car pools, shopping, all the dr's appts, most of the cooking and the cleaning. I'm looking for an awesome tool to help me stay organized and maybe keep a master schedule as well as master grocery list.
What do you have for me?

Yes you are the COO! All of us SAMHs are! Thanks for the reminder!!

I have the Planet Mom journal and I love it. I always carry a pencil and eraser along with it so I can update details easily. It's how I keep everything straight! I love it!

The calendar pages are undated -which is awesome- so you can start at any time! I keep my business cards in there too. I use the blank pages for anything from journalling to grocery lists to planning Hope's next birthday party. It also has 5 sections with envelopes for school, after school, entertainment, contacts and health I think.

I thought you meant a home organization binder. I did have one of those a long time ago. I put all the credit card information in it, house insurance details, just everything that we would need to know if any paperwork/cards were lost.

[sabrinat]

Originally Posted by amydawnsmommy

Yes you are the COO! All of us SAMHs are! Thanks for the reminder!!

Mama I'm a WOHM so I might be getting screwed since apparently I have 2 job titles and only one paycheck

I guess I mean a "life management binder for the home" perhaps that's more descriptive. I like the idea of The Notebook though.

[accountclosed3]

there is one, i'm trying to remember the name of the company. i'll ask my husband. but--it's basicly like the notebook above. it's set up similarly.

the one that we found was great, but written for a mainstreamer. i foudn that there were sections that would work well for us, and others that would not be used and were a waste of paper.

so, we're in the process of making our own.

[sabrinat]

Just thought I'd mention that I found a zippered 3 ring Mead brand binder at Big Lot's for $7. I thought that was a great deal since during the back to school sales they were $15 at Staples. I got that and some page protectors and a zippered pouch for less than $10.
Now I need a good printable calendar page. What's this publisher everyone keeps mentioning.

[orangefoot]

Have you seen this?

I've moved our filing cabinet to a more accessible place so I can start to do something like it. I've tried an notebook before but it got lost or I didn't write in it so now I just stick with a calendar which shows 1 week at a time.

[sabrinat]

Originally Posted by orangefoot

Have you seen this?

I've moved our filing cabinet to a more accessible place so I can start to do something like it. I've tried an notebook before but it got lost or I didn't write in it so now I just stick with a calendar which shows 1 week at a time.

That's very cool. I'm going to definitely use there 5 tab system. It pretty much says it all. I like the zippered notebook idea though to keep everything together.

[caeden&connersmom]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

I have a 3-ring binder that I decided to organize this year. I have it in sections, and so far I've been putting the papers in those clear sheet protectors so I can print whatever I need off my computer and not worry about 3-hole punching papers.

I have a calendar printed from Publisher for September through June. I think I'm using it as our "attendance" calendar for hs'ing. I have a section for hs'ing legal papers (basically a copy of our private school affidavit and a signed vax waiver). I have a section for general to-do lists for dh and I; plus a section where I put our weekly schedule (which needs revamping), and a list of what I would theoretically do in each room/section of the house if I were to actually *clean* thoroughly! I also have a section for my dad's house and everything that I have to do with the trust/estate, as well as our remodelling plans for his house.

It has been very helpful so far, especially when dealing with my dad's affairs. I just type up on Word different to-do lists for each person/business I am dealing with, include the names and phone numbers, and then leave blank space for handwritten notes. I like the clear page protectors because I can slip things like bills or business cards into the appropriate sections, and also include small hand-written notes. And, it's all rearrangeble (sp?), which is helpful for me too. Normally I jot notes in spiral bound little notebooks, but I can't organize/arrange those notes by type. So, I just take them and put them in the page protectors instead.

Anyways ... hope that helps. I apologize for not being clear ... my head still wants to be napping.

OMG You are my hero!!

I have one folder for bills, but damned if I can find it!!! (Its full of bills too! : )

[StormySar]

I am creating one - in my blog (link in sig) you can see a couple posts back that I wrote about starting a hosuehold management binder and I have a link to another moms home management binder in her blog and it's fantastic. She has links to tons of other home management binders on the left column so you can peek into others binders to get ideas.