Calendars to manage my day

4 children, homeschooler, homemaker, church goer, friend, daughter, mother, sports co-ordinator, creative director, religious leader - the list is endless if you think of the roles you play.  (some of these may be slightly exaggerated but you get the idea don't you).  Mother's have lots to do - more than lots - and all of this takes lots of time and energy and planning. I have few tools that I use to make it work.  Though just to clarify that my calendars are not magic - I have to use them to make them work.

Why do I say this?  I used to buy myself the most beautiful diary to manage my week, fill in all details very faithfully - close it and never look at it again until the next week - which meant I missed lots and lots of appointments and was always late because I would forget.  I am still late (most days) but not as a result of not knowing but of poor planning - still working on that one.

The whiteboard (I use this weekly) - keeps the children informed

A weekly board which allows me to put in all the planned activities and planned dinners for the week in the kitchen for all to see.  This enables the children to also have a sense of purpose, and know what is happening every day. The added bonus of course is that I now have 4 little people keeping an eye on my activities and making sure that we don't forget anything.

The whiteboard is an old office board but in the past, a laminated piece of cardboard with whiteboard markers also worked just as well. 

Online Calendar on my computer and phone(planning for the week and beyond) - keeps my man informed and sends me sms and email reminders

I use Google Calendar, because its free, because I use Gmail and because I can share my calendars with Sean which means that he can also plan around my activities. With only one car it means that we can do our planning and have it as a reference.  This is then linked to our calendars on our smart phones which means that even if we are not sitting in front of our computers we still know what's going on.  This is because he also works from home so that I know when to expect him to be home and when he is away.  It also means that he knows where I am.  I often just head out the door with a wave because he is on the phone and so he doesn't know where I am going. He might know that I am going to music but this way I can leave an address in the details on the calendar or if I am visiting a friend he doesn't know.  This is  alsofor safety measures, so that he knows where to look when I don't come home. Which has happened in the past because I love to chat as some of you know!

My diary - keeps me informed

I carry this wherever I go. In my bag.  Quick notes, things I need when I don't have the internet.  I have found that relying only on digital is a big no no! Guaranteed the day you need it, it doesn't work!  Paper may be outdated but I still think there needs to be some kind of paper trail.

What do you do to manage your day?  What systems do you have in place or do you just wing it?