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The Busy Body Book: Keeping a calendar-challenged mom on track
Filed under: That's Entertainment
Something happened to my brain when I gave
birth to my second baby. That little chip that used to help me maintain a meticulous family calendar apparently moved
on. In its place is nothing but an empty space that's caused me to miss doctor's appointments and a birthday
party, and overschedule myself to no end. I've always been a big fan of the Franklin-Covey day planners, but it wasn't
working for me this time around. I've tried different tools, like Yahoo! Calendar, but I'm a paper gal. I want to hold
the calendar in my hand and have it available for quick notes or additions.The folks who make the family organizer, Busy Body Book, recently contacted Blogging Baby and I signed myself up to test out the product. It's a week-at-a-glance calendar that includes five columns to keep track of family members, activities, or something like meals slated for the week. It's light enough to keep in medium size purse or diaper bag.
I'm on week three with Busy Body Book and it's been incredibly useful in keeping track of the fam. I have a column for me, my husband and my two sons. I used the last column for family activities, like birthday parties, road trips or dinner parties (well, maybe just dreaming of the day we can resume dinner parties). I put bills that need to be paid in the back pocked of the book and jot down their due dates in the calendar. And, I keep the Busy Body Book in the kitchen where I can easily spot it.Here's what I haven't used yet: the monthly calendars that you can download, or the the "important peoples page." I don't have the time to transfer information from my address book into the book. Nor do I feel like printing out a month-at-a-glance page. The book also comes with stickers to highlight important events, but they are too wide and spill into the other columns. A little smaller and they'd be perfect.
But I like the Busy Body Book. It's easy to use and inexpensive. It covers 15 months beginning in September. The current edition, September '05 - December '06, is on sale for US$9.98. It regularly sells for US$19.95.
Have you used the Busy Body Book? What did you think?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2006 @ 7:24PM
Michelle said...Oh my God, where can I buy this? I used to be the most organized person on the planet. Not even the birth of my daughter threw me off track. I was never late or double booked. When my son was born, it's like I'm in this twilight zone of permanent brain fartage, and I'm not even working anymore, like I was after the first child. Maybe it's the 2 babies in 3 years and hubby always working, maybe it's the lack of sleep for 4+ years, I don't know. But, I have a dry-erase calendar on the fridge, a calendar I carry in the diaper bag, AND hubby has a calendar. Maybe what I need is a personal assistant. Any takers?
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4-06-2006 @ 7:33PM
suburban misfit said...I haven't used this, but I use a similar product: Sandra Boynton's Mom's Family Planner. Aside from the non-traditional unfriendliness of it (what about Dad's Family Planner, or Granny's Family Planner-hi Ann!), I love it. It's got the columns, like the one you used, but it's a 16 month calendar, which is really useful when you live by the school calendar. Plus, it has all kinds of Boynton illustrations, and I love me some Boynton.
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4-06-2006 @ 7:42PM
Christina said...I received a copy to try out also, and I love it! It's easy to use, and I like the blank page opposite each weekly page that can be used to write out notes or t-do lists.
I especially like being able to see what each person is doing. It's already avoided one double-booking.
Reply
4-06-2006 @ 7:46PM
marnie said...I've been using the Mom's Plan-It (again, non-traditional unfriendliness abounding) calendars and they've saved my life. The wall calendar is similar to the Boynton calendar, except that it's set up like a regular monthly calendar, with columns running horizontally instead of vertically for each week. I'm also using their week-at-a-glance calendar and it's fabulous. On the right-hand side, there's a menu planner and when you flip the page, it's a grocery list on the next week's left side. The list is perforated, so you can tear it out and take it along to the store. I did try the Boynton wall calendar at the start of this year, but went back and got another Mom's Plan-It after a month or so of being confused by the vertical columns. My little brain just couldn't get used to it. :)
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4-06-2006 @ 8:40PM
Mandie said...I know we all have tons of paper clutter already, however don't throw out your calendars. You may need to look up a bday you jotted or some other seemingly unless info which you might needs someday.
I'm saving mine for retirement to remember how busy life once was with a full house
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4-06-2006 @ 9:31PM
asha said...Did you know the initial "Busy Body Book" link points back to Blogging Baby?
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4-06-2006 @ 10:33PM
Cathy said...I wish they had sent it to me to try. I am going to end up buying an appointment book like offices use to keep track of multiple people just to keep my family's schedules coordinated.
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4-06-2006 @ 11:17PM
LS said...I had the same problem as Asha... I googled the book, and the website for it is here: http://www.busybodybook.com/
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4-07-2006 @ 12:49AM
charlene said...hey guys, thanks for the catch on the link. it's been fixed. just so you know, though, most photos on Blogging Baby have a link to the item being discussed. So if you ever miss a link in the story, try the photo too!
-charlene
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4-07-2006 @ 11:33AM
AJ said...I second Suburban Misfit's vote for Sandra Boynton's Mom's Family Calendar. Aside from having a column for "Mom," it's good for four more family members.
http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2005/12/review_moms_fam.html
I guess the difference is, use the Busy Body Book if one person wants to track 5 people -- because it's a book and probably won't be kept in a central location. Whereas, use the wall calendar if everyone needs to track everyone else.
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