Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Blank Notebooks & Cheap Calendars

I know I've mentioned my love of to-do lists in the past. I used to just grab whatever paper I could find lying around for my to-do lists. Part of the problem with that system is that I'd often misplace my lists.

However, I solved that problem this past summer. When Wal-Mart has having their big back-to-school sales, I took advantage of the deals on notebooks. If I remember right, we picked up 20 notebooks for $2. While most of those notebooks were for our homeschooling, I snagged a few for myself.

Now I don't know how I could live without my blank notebooks. I always have one with me. I use them for random to-do lists, menu planning, jotting down ideas, homeschool plans, and for planning out my blogging each night. I usually have at least 2 notebooks going at a time - one I keep at my desk where I blog and one that is either in the kitchen or in my purse when we go out.Another thing I picked up to help keep my blogging and the rest of my life organized is some cheap calendars. I found these great calendars in $1 bin section at Target shortly after New Years. Because they were so cheap, I grabbed three of them. One keeps track of all the family stuff, one is for my personal blogs and other blog-related stuff, and the third is for Happy To Be At Home. I love having dedicated space to plan out of my activities and being able to keep things separate.

How do you keep your thoughts, plans, and to-dos organized? Blank notebooks and cheap calendars definitely work for me!

Stop by Shannon's for her last go-round with WFMW. Starting next week, we'll be sharing what works for us over at We Are THAT Family.

18 comments:

Christina 9:37 PM  

I LOVE notebooks, because I'm a list maker and note keeper. I have so many, and grab whichever one is closest to me at the time, so when I write something down, I can't ever find it agaun. I need to get more organized! :)

Anonymous,  11:05 PM  

I love when notebooks go on sale, cause I use them as much as possible. I am glad I am not the only one who does that!

John and Lisa 11:49 PM  

I have always had a thing for school supplies, and who wouldn't love a 10 cent notebook!

Dave Roller 12:11 AM  

Charles Schulz never said happiness is a ten cent notebook. But I am sure he always wanted to.

Heidi Boos 12:51 AM  

I have lots of little notebooks for a variety of things. They're so easy to put inside my bags. I just bought a dry erase calendar on clearance for $5 (with a nice white frame) that I can't wait to use for school info (my kids aren't school-aged yet). I can see myself using lots of different calendars like you! ;)

Shynea @ Penny Pinching Diva 1:47 AM  

I am a lover of the to-do lists. I love making them, and couldn't live without them. I have several spiral notebooks that I tote around with me. One is for my bloggy planning. I write out a publishing schedulte every Sunday evening for the entire week, and then jot down my articles before I type them up. I also have a notebook that holds my plans for my other sites. I also have a blog organization binder that goes everywhere with me. And a desk top calendar that all appointments get written on for the family.

The spiral notebook sale at Wal-Mart during the back-to-school sale was awesome. I think I bought way too many.

Buffie 8:11 AM  

Right now I have 2 small notebooks in my purse that go everywhere with me. One for blogging ideas and the other for everything else. I also have a regular sized spiral notebook on my desk at home for planning out shopping trips and writing up blog post ideas in more detail. I'd be lost without my notebooks.

I always look forward to the back to school sales because I stock up on all my "supplies" then. Hubbie thinks I'm crazy, but I've seen him getting pens and notebooks from my stash.

Tracey 9:36 AM  

I definitely need to grab a few notebooks and calendars. I do pretty well with my personal calendar, but since I've just started blogging, I have several different lists going in several different places in the house and I need a better way to organize my thoughts. I'm big on trashing miscellaneous paper, so I'm living in fear that my greatest ideas will end up in the trash. Thanks for your post!

Nancy 10:36 AM  

I have the same calendar from Target and I love it. That calendar is my lifeline.

Keri 10:44 AM  

My beloved tells me I have a stuff fetish and he's right. Office supply stuff, that is. Loooove it!

JessieLeigh 2:08 PM  

Oh, I love when Walmart has their 10 cent notebooks! I always stock up too. So great for organizing my to-do lists (that one stays in the kitchen) and my blog ideas (that one lives by the computer). I also keep one in the diaper bag along with crayons and stickers to entertain the little ones in waiting rooms and such. Notebooks are fabulous!

Angela Walker 2:15 PM  

I still love to actually use a pen and paper vs my iPhone. For some reason it just feels better to me.

In the datebooks, they always have numbered dividers. I assume this is for people that need to track expenses, etc. related to their job. I don't have to track that so I've never really had a use for these sections.

Lately I've started using them and I LOVE it. I have one section for my journal, one section for general notes, one for work notes. I haven't used all the dividers yet, but I'm sure I can come up with something. When my journal section gets full, I pull the pages and put them in a binder in my office.

It has been awesome to have everything in one place. I can't go anywhere without my datebook now.

Jerralea 2:56 PM  

I'm definitely a lover of notebooks, too. Nothing like a new one with blank pages just waiting for me to fill it up with SOMETHING!

Angela @ Nine More Months 4:51 PM  

I am bad at writing things down. I always buy notebooks with the intention of putting them to good use, but they usually end up being scribbled on by my 3 year old.

Frugal Sara 6:31 PM  

I love notebooks! I use them for everything and couldn't live without them!

Eos Mom 9:49 PM  

I had that same problem (jotting notes on any old paper, then losing it) and found the same notebook solution--it helps me so much! Of course I still occasionally grab a scrap of paper, but overall it's a vast improvement. My next step is to stock up when they're on sale. (I have some free calendars from charities so I use one as a calendar and one for writing memories on. Extra calendars are great!) Thanks!

Kristin - The Goat 6:28 PM  

I'm a post-it girl for my notes, BUT if I want to save my Post-its, I put them in a note book LOL

I have several stacks of notebooks. I should have a blogging calendar though, that's a great idea.

I'm talking about address labels on my WFMW post.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Jenny 10:24 PM  

ran across your blog while i was surfin' around some others. and you have some great content here. there's lots to check out and i'm really enjoying my stay. i'd like to invite you for a pop on over to my blog if you'd like. i'd love to have you. :) i've subscribed to your feed so i'll be coming back for sure.

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