This post is the first of a new weekly "series" that will offer "tips" that will help make your life easier...hence "Typical Tuesday". I will be offering tips that will encompass all areas of our lives from neat organization tools, to handy household and cleaning tips and lots of cool creative ideas.
So for my first "Typical Tuesday" post I wanted to talk about Day Planners/Calenders & Address Books because this is the time of year when everyone has either received a new one as a Christmas gift or, if you are like me, you wait for the "after" sales and go out and buy yourself a new one :}
Last year I thought I hit the "gold mine" when I found this lovely at my local, favorite, book store...
Isn't she just lovely...gorgeous black leather engraved with the year and glitter...and it had it's own little address book which was tucked into an accordion pocket in the back. Ummm...I had such plans for it!
After all, it had everything a self-professed, OCD organizer, dreams about...a "month-at-a-glance" section, a "week-at-a-glance" section, a removable "address book", yearly "important date & calendar" sections, an "important personal information" section...and more...all in one little book...
And I promised myself that...this year...I'd use it all...and make it my best organization tool ever...NOT! I should know myself better (after all these years)...the parts that I use the most are the "month-at-a glance" and the "address book"...THAT's IT! So, as time progressed, I felt guilty about not using the "week-at-a-glance" area so I started writing quotes that I found inspiring on these pages...so I could justify the BLANK PAGES...lol
The bottom line is...I don't micro-manage my daily activities...I refer back to my on-going to-do lists and do not see the need to re-write them again in my "day-planner". The "month-at-a-glance" section has always been my favorite for keeping track of my monthly appointments and the recurring important dates for holidays/birthdays, etc. The handy "notes" section, on the side of the monthly calendar, is great for keeping track of new contact information like names, numbers, web-sites, etc.
Next item...for years I keep this cute "Kim Anderson" inspired "address book":
It's compact enough to carry in my purse or tote bag, yet...large enough to maintain years of contact information. Every year, usually when I'm making out my Christmas cards, I'd update the insides with fresh address labels...
You can see here where I've added labels upon labels...because people move around these days! Last year I printed two sets of labels...one for this book and one for my new "portable" address book in my new "day-planner". Note: I've covered up or "blurred" the personal phone numbers/info for obvious reasons :}
I have maintained these address labels, on my PC, for years by updating them annually, before printing them to insert into my address book and/or new planner. When the boys were still home, I'd print them a set and put a new book in their Christmas stockings. So this year when I was at the Dollar store getting "stuffers", I picked up a new two-year calendar for my oldest son and liked it so much that I got one for myself. Love the cover...makes me want to go on vacation...someplace warm...and if I get tired of it...I can always alter it...yeah, right!
Actually, I think I found the perfect "day-planner" for me...it has two years of "month-at-a-glance" calendars and a large "address" section in the rear...and the best part is that it fits nicely in my purse.
And now that I've attached all my new "address" labels...not that you could possible "fit" all your hand-written information on the incredibly "tiny" lines/areas that they provide in ANY of these address books....a big pet peeve of mine...but I know I'm not alone on this one...
A great visual aide...is to "highlight" the names so that you have a "visual" break on the page to clearly pick out someone's information when you need it :}
So now I'm good for another year...that is before Christmas card time rolls around again...and I have to make sure I have everyones current addresses before hand-writing my cards. This year I had to add a lot more addresses because of the two family weddings..yeah!
Hope you all enjoyed my first "Typical Tuesday" post and that it gives you some good "tips" when you are out there browsing the "sale" isles at all those wonderful calendars and day-planners. This year I thought about "what works for me" and really wanted to keep things simple...and the price was right!
Nice job Hon! Great tips!
Posted by: DH | January 07, 2010 at 03:42 PM
Good info, I've started using some of these myself - priting the labels out for my book, adding them to my PC..now if I could just remember to write my dates into my book! Progress, progress however slow, is still progress!
Posted by: Debra Bunker | January 06, 2010 at 09:19 PM