I used to keep a diary for work and I remember thinking, “I won’t need a diary when I’m home with baby because I won’t have many appointments”. How wrong I was! I’m totally dependant on it. It’s not just a diary, it’s more of an appointment/meal planner/to do list/reminder and budget almanac for the house and family. My diary has become central to my quest for an organised household and Super Mum status.
I’m usually an app junkie but there is one thing that I just can’t swap to digital and that’s my diary; I’ve tried all sorts of phone, ipad and computer based solutions but I always come back to my ‘real’ diary. Choosing a diary for the new year is a major decision for me; each year from about November I stalk diaries; honestly I could give you a synopsis and comparative summary of every diary for sale at my local shopping centre between November and New Years. If I don’t get one I really like for a Christmas present I go straight out to the shops as soon as the sales start and buy my new buddy.
I LOVE pretty new diaries but to become MY diary it needs to meet a new requirements;
1) It needs to be a ‘Week to a View’ I find this the most use full layout. The diary lives on our buffet next to the phone, it stays open to the current week so that when I walk past, or I’m on the phone I’m reminded of anything that’s happening this week.
2) It needs to be sturdy. I don’t mind a bargain, but it’s got to be sturdy enough to stand up to daily use for a whole year. That generally means a hard cover and decent quality paper. This year I got a sexy little “Typo” black number from the family secret santa, it’s served me well so far.
Once I get my new diary I sit down with my old diary and my new one and transfer all of the annual events across. ie Birthdays, Anniversaries, Animals Vaccinations, Major Bills etc. These go at the top left of the day then, at the bottom left of the day I note the regular transfers that come out of our accounts.
Appointment, social plans etc are added as they come up and at the start of the week before i go grocery shopping I sit down and plan our dinners for the week, family dinners go in the bottom right of each day and freeze ahead baby meals and make ahead freezer meals are listed separately to be made in bulk.
Here is a fairly standard week from my diary.
