Making plans

With the new year right around the corner I've been making plans to get organized.  I realized that lately, I have been totally horrible about remembering things and keep my daily lists in my head. It must be because I'm getting older Emma started school. A very good Mommy friend of mine, who happens to be Emma's homeroom mom has stepped up to the daunting task of making sure I am always on the track with whats going on in the girls' class (I know what a good friend, right?) I've decided that maybe its time I be a good friend back and get a planner going to keep me organized.
Well since I have arrived at the decision I have been searching for the right one for me and my family and I've developed some real planner envy.  But, like a lot of people we are on a budget and spending $50 on planner seemed a bit silly. Plus, I kind of want more of a "home management" style.  So, I've decided I need to make a family notebook planner (thank you all you awesome pinterest pinners!) Here are the beginnings to my adventure. I hope it motivates and helps you make one of your own so that you can keep those New Year's resolutions and not forget your kid's picture day (yes that happened on my kid's first ever school picture day!)


I found this really helpful blog by Shayla at design finch.com. She has a lot of great ideas, several more which I feel I will be blogging about very soon! She has gathered some really great week at a glance pages, menu pages, cleaning schedule, and if you are a hard core blogger there is even a blog planner! The best part is they are all free.  I went with number 2 for my calender, then number 5 for my menu, and number 1 for my cleaning schedule. You'll have to head on over to her blog to check out the rest because her blog deserves a visit for all her hard work

I just printed these and am going to try them all for my first couple of weeks before I go through all the steps to get a binder together. Plus I am looking for a few more things to add. So for now you'll have to bear with me. All my copies are only black and white and I am holding them all together in my couponing notebook which is embarrassingly light these days.  You see blogging is not the only aspect in my life I have put to the back burner. BUT thats the purpose of this whole deal. 
Now back to the "other" sections:
I decided I wanted a monthly view too. So I downloaded this print out, also for free, by Michelle Undewood from Two Peas in a Bucket.com they have a color and a b/w version. Since Im only printing in black and white for now I went with it...

There will be a few more sections to add:
Contacts - with all the family contacts names, numbers, and addresses. (sub section in here for home repair and another for take out with menu included)
Medical - with all our dr info, insurance info, medical releases...
A section for each kid -  to keep things that need to be filled out or returned, school schedules...

As soon as I get this figured out and together I will post some pictures.  But for now I have a hungry little boy and am dying to try a new recipe. So you start your notebook and I'll hurry to finish mine because up next: the 21 Day Organizing Challenge from Toni at A Bowl Full of Lemons. Be back soon with the full report,
Terra