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in Episodes on January 2, 2017 by The Mom Hour

Calendar Tips & To-Do List Strategies: Episode 83



How do YOU calendar? Paper planner, digital calendar, color-coded dry erase board, or all of the above? In Episode 83 Meagan and Sarah share our strategies for keeping appointments, deadlines, and family schedules organized. We talk about the pros and cons of both paper and digital systems, offer suggestions for managing large families’ many commitments, and give you a peek into our own quirky way of thinking about a week at a glance. We also discuss to-do lists and we make them work for us. Join us!

Note: We mentioned a TON of tips and ideas in this episode and we’ve tried to include as many links as possible in the show notes. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, leave us a comment and we’ll dig it up!

Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 83

Amazon links are affiliates and have been updated for 2018. Thanks for helping support the show in this small way at no additional cost to you!
  • Sarah’s digital-to-paper calendaring system (as explained on the podcast, but in a blog post for The Happiest Home)
  • Meagan’s thoughts on To-Do Lists and To-Dream Lists
  • Our listeners had great ideas on Facebook and Instagram – click through to read their comments (and give us a “Like” while you’re there if you haven’t already!)
  • Wunderlist – Sarah uses this for on-the-go list making and shared to-do lists (but completely forgot to mention it on the show – oops!)
  • Sarah’s wall calendar (new link for 2019!)
  • Sarah’s Moleskine notebook (new link for 2019!)
  • Meagan’s favorite notebook

Sponsor Spotlight

This week’s show is brought to you by Eversnap Photography. Eversnap helps you book a high quality, pre-vetted photographer for 50% cheaper and 10 times faster in 25+ cities across the country. With fast and easy booking, a talented base of photographers experienced in everything from portraits to events, and ZERO hidden fees, you can have your next party or family event professionally photographed for half the price of a traditional booking.

We worked with Eversnap to take some professional photos last month, and we love how they turned out! (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for more from our shoot!)

Eversnap is offering 20% off any booking for our podcast listeners. Just use code THEMOMHOUR at checkout! You can download their app wherever you shop for mobile apps, or head to eversnappro.com.

Take a peek inside…

Here are some photos of the systems we talked about in the show. (Meagan’s calendar isn’t pictured because, in her words, she just “looks at Google Calendar on my laptop at least 15 times a day” 🙂 )

More photos from our Eversnap shoot!

All photos are property of The Mom Hour and Life, Listened. Please don’t use without our permission (but if you need something for promotional purposes, feel free to ask!). Thanks!

Related

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: calendar planning, productivity & time management

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« Storing, Organizing & Creating with Your Family Photos: Episode 82
Moms Who Write (Or Who Want To): Episode 84 »

Comments

  1. Carrie Kelleher says

    January 5, 2017 at 10:58 am

    Great pics and great podcast! Would you both mind showing pics of your ACTUAL calendars and books? I wanted to see your layouts that you described in the moleskines/notebooks. Just an idea! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 5, 2017 at 1:17 pm

      Carrie, yes! We meant to do this and it took me a couple days to get the photos put together. They’re here in the show notes now. 🙂

      Reply
  2. September Gerety says

    January 6, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    The calendar that we use for the whole family to see is Google calendar – it takes a little time to set it up so that everyone is shared on all the calendars, but with older kids it’s the perfect solution because they can see and add to it from their phones. We have one calendar per person, all color coded, and have it set up so the parents can edit all of the calendars. The kids can each edit their own, but can see everyone’s. It also took some training and reminding: “Did you put it on the Google calendar?” “Did you check the Google calendar?” But now it is so smooth and the system works way better than trying to keep up with digital calendars plus a paper calendar for four teenagers, especially since I travel about half of the month (sometimes more) and so wouldn’t be able to access a non-digital family calendar much of the time.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 31, 2017 at 8:52 am

      September, that sounds like a GREAT system for a busy family with older kids. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Kellie Lowry says

    January 10, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    Hi, just listened for the 1st time. I liked the podcast. I love the Erin Condren notebooks for lists of things not in my google calendar.
    Looking forward to listening to more episodes

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 31, 2017 at 8:51 am

      Hi Kellie! Thanks so much for listening and commenting – will have to check out those notebooks for sure!

      Reply
  4. Amy G says

    January 14, 2017 at 7:25 am

    I love the show, ladies. I’ve been listening for months but this is my first comment! I really enjoyed hearing about your calendar systems and notebook preferences.

    Our family uses the Cozi app (Gold version) because it allows us to indicate how many people are attending. It also provides multiplex reminders which we need. Lol. I’ve also love the to-do list, journal (which allows us to automatically share our photos/stories once a month), and the recipe planning is great!

    My favorite notebook is the Staples Eco Notebook – 5×8, spiral bound, recycled paper, pockets in the front, hard cover (great for notes on the go), and only $4!

    Anyway, thanks for all your hard work with the podcast. It’s great to hear your advice each week!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 31, 2017 at 8:49 am

      Amy, thanks so much for listening – and for commenting! 🙂 We hear great things about Cozi, too. And you clearly have opinions about the perfect notebook just like we do! 😉

      Reply

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Click this image at the link in our bio to read more about the egg decorating kits, products, and techniques that have worked well in our house for older kids, tweens, and teens!

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👇 For an episode! 👇 It's the first day of 👇 For an episode! 👇 

It's the first day of SPRING, which means we're already thinking about SUMMER. And, specifically, making our own lives as moms and home managers easier and more joyful for Summer 2023.

If you have a tip or hack that falls into the general bucket of "do this now; enjoy summer later", we'd love to hear it! We'll be sharing our own in an upcoming episode and hope to include some from listeners as well. Can be from any area of summer enjoyment from childcare to travel to self-care to home management to backyard gardening!
Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

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It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans comi It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans coming up for Spring Break, but we know that every single year, just as many families aren't going anywhere - and that's OK, too!

This week on the blog @emilyeroark offers suggestions for mixing up your same ol' same ol' when kids are off for Spring Break. Check out the post by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#stayathomemom #springbreakathome #staycationideas #stayathomeparent #toddlermom #preschoolmom #momofthree #springbreak2023 #spring #springbreakathome #kidsactivities
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
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Check out Sandy’s ideas for themed Easter baskets by clicking this image at the link in our bio - she's got over 35 different gift ideas listed!

#easter2023 #easterbasketfillers #eastergiftideas #themedeasterbasket #giftsfortoddlers #giftsforpreschoolers #giftsfortweens #giftsforkids #eastergiftguide #eastertips #easterwithkids
"As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports co "As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports coaching resume for years," writes @twinningtheweekend on the blog this week, "You just didn’t know it."

🥎  Through potty training, you’ve shown incredible determination.
⚽  Sibling rivalry has made you the ultimate expert in team dynamics. 
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how lo I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how long my kids have hung in when it comes to decorating Easter eggs. Not only that, but as fine motor skills and - ahem - frustration-management skills have improved for my three, the sophistication level of our egg-dyeing adventures has increased dramatically.

Click this image at the link in our bio to read more about the egg decorating kits, products, and techniques that have worked well in our house for older kids, tweens, and teens!

#eastermom #easterfamily #eggdecoratingideas #eggdyeingideas #easterwithkids #easterwithteens #craftsforteens #craftsfortweens #eggdecorating #easter2023
New episode! It's our Podcastaversary (yep, we ju New episode!

It's our Podcastaversary (yep, we just made up a new word)! Today we are celebrating eight years of The Mom Hour by reflecting on some of your most-asked questions over the years. Beyond recurring queries like "should I have that third baby?" or "what's the ideal spacing between kids?," we're digging into some deeper through-lines that point to the fears, insecurities, and hopes of our community. We also provide snapshots of the many places we have recorded our 640+ episodes (the floor, the bed, different states and more).
👇 For an episode! 👇 It's the first day of 👇 For an episode! 👇 

It's the first day of SPRING, which means we're already thinking about SUMMER. And, specifically, making our own lives as moms and home managers easier and more joyful for Summer 2023.

If you have a tip or hack that falls into the general bucket of "do this now; enjoy summer later", we'd love to hear it! We'll be sharing our own in an upcoming episode and hope to include some from listeners as well. Can be from any area of summer enjoyment from childcare to travel to self-care to home management to backyard gardening!
Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

New episodes release every Tuesday and alternating Sundays all year round. Our archives have conversations about every stage of parenting from before-baby through launching young adults - and every aspect of motherhood, too.

#podcast #podcastformoms #mompodcast #parentingpodcast #mommypodcast #mamapodcast #womenpodcasters #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #themomhour #motherhood
Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podv Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podversary? Birthcast? No matter how you slice it, The Mom Hour turns EIGHT years old on March 19!

Want to totally make our day? Leave a comment that tells us - in life milestones - how long you've been listening (i.e., "the baby I was pregnant with when I found you guys is now in kindergarten" OR "I have a middle schooler who was in preschool when I started listening" OR "I was on leave with my first when I discovered the podcast; now I have four kids!")

We appreciate this community so much - and we're not slowing down! Thanks for being here, friends. Talk to you Tuesday!

-M &S
Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor ro Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor roundup, where we thank our partners and remind you of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. Remember, when you check out our sponsors and use our links + codes, it helps support our show. Thank you!

We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW partner:
💰 @fearlessfinance ($50 off your 1st meeting!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @everyplate (meal kits for just $1.49 per meal!) 
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @caraway_home (10% off cookware!)
⭐ @caredotcom (local, background-checked care!) 
⭐ @prepdish (2 weeks of free meal plans!)
⭐ @minted (art, bags, gifts & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans comi It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans coming up for Spring Break, but we know that every single year, just as many families aren't going anywhere - and that's OK, too!

This week on the blog @emilyeroark offers suggestions for mixing up your same ol' same ol' when kids are off for Spring Break. Check out the post by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#stayathomemom #springbreakathome #staycationideas #stayathomeparent #toddlermom #preschoolmom #momofthree #springbreak2023 #spring #springbreakathome #kidsactivities
New episode! Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, rea New episode!

Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, really.) And board games (maybe?). What's fun for our families right now looks quite different than it did years ago, so today Meagan and Sarah revisit an oft-discussed hot topic on The Mom Hour: family "fun." We share several ideas for ACTUALLY FUN family activities that work for our current seasons, as well as some gripes about things that feel like they should be fun but aren't. Join us!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! It isn't always easy to appreciate t New episode!

It isn't always easy to appreciate the mundane tasks of our daily lives, or to see the glass half-full when something goes awry. Inspired by yet another social media trend that had us scratching our heads at first (and then reflecting in spite of our forty-something selves), today Meagan and Sarah talk about situations from our own lives where we romanticized the hard stuff to get by.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you g If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you give them a theme? On the blog this week @hopefulsmiles makes a case for themed Easter baskets helping to simplify shopping, avoid clutter, and stay on budget.

Check out Sandy’s ideas for themed Easter baskets by clicking this image at the link in our bio - she's got over 35 different gift ideas listed!

#easter2023 #easterbasketfillers #eastergiftideas #themedeasterbasket #giftsfortoddlers #giftsforpreschoolers #giftsfortweens #giftsforkids #eastergiftguide #eastertips #easterwithkids

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