Maven Says: Organize me

I want to be organized, really I do. My Blackberry goes a long way but I just can't seem to keep everything in there. It's great for keeping track of meetings with the big cheese. I've even resorted to sending appointments to Gman for most of the things that I have going on in the evenings but somehow, someway things fall through the cracks. Maybe it has something to do with the serious paper problem that we have in our house--WAY, WAY too much of it and no good way to organize it.

Could that be prince charming riding in a white horse to save me in the form of the new Family Matters line from Day Runner?

Door reminders: These are by far my favorite of the Day Runner Family Matters products. The cute little "reminder men" hang right on the door handle and virtually whisper in my ear as I try to escape the house in the morning. I have them hanging on the front and garage doors so that I don't leave things behind. They are so clever and easy to use--if only they would yell at me, "make sure she has her lunch" on the way out they'd be perfect!

Undated wall planner: I am the queen of dry erase, I use a similar calendar in my office to keep everything straight. I take great joy in actually erasing things. This version has both a traditional calendar as well as a version with days of the month down one side with a column for each person in the family. I can't find a convenient place to hang it in the kitchen/family room which is (dis)organization central at our house. I've decided it does have great potential as a chore keeper-tracker for my girls. I think it will be perfect on the closet door in their room.

Weekly/monthly family planner: I love the idea of this weekly/monthly calendar book with colors and columns assigned to everyone in the family. It also gives you places to note things you need to buy and an address book. Alas, that part of my life I have a pretty good handle on in the electronic world. The book is relatively big and if I can't stuff it in my purse I'm afraid I won't get everything in there. I am notorious for stealing a few minutes in the preschool parking lot at drop off and pick up trying to get things on the calendar!

Coordinating folders and storage bins: These have great potential. Unfortunately we are so far gone in the keeping track of paper department that I haven't quite gotten to getting things in here yet. I love the idea, having sports, school, church folders for the kids in their own storage bin and getting rid of the basket of paper doom really appeals to me. I need the services of that professional organizer I bought at the silent auction three years ago...if only I could find her card!

I love the idea of the Family Matters Day Runner products. I think I've proven to myself yet again that you've got to use things consistently to be organized and somehow, I just can't find the time to get the process established, let alone follow it consistently. For those of you a bit less organizationally challenged, this may be the organizational system you are looking for! For more perspectives, check out what the other parents have to say over at Parent Bloggers.